Maziwa is a Canadian nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting breastfeeding mothers, particularly focusing on empowering African mothers to balance infant health with economic wellbeing. Incorporated with the business registration number 780489530RR0001, Maziwa operates as a hybrid social enterprise with nonprofit status in Canada and the United States, and a for-profit arm in Kenya.

Mission and Vision

Maziwa’s mission centers on enabling mothers to provide optimal care for their babies without sacrificing their own economic opportunities. The organization believes in empowering mothers through breastfeeding support, education, and access to innovative breastfeeding technologies.

Programs and Activities

Maziwa offers a range of services aimed at promoting maternal and infant health:

• Breastfeeding Support: The organization provides lactation consultations and breastfeeding education classes to improved maternal health and child nutrition.
• Maternal Health Support: Maziwa extends prenatal care information and assistance to expecting mothers.
• Community Engagement: Through Community Breastfeeding Ambassadors, Maziwa actively challenges societal stigmas and misconceptions about breastfeeding, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for mothers.

One of Maziwa's hallmark initiatives is the development and distribution of the Wema Breast Pump, a portable, battery-operated, rechargeable, and wireless breast pump designed to meet the needs of working mothers. This device enables women to efficiently express milk in various settings, including workplaces that lack dedicated lactation spaces. The Wema Breast Pump is more affordable than many traditional options, increasing accessibility for low-income women who often lack access to such technologies.

Impact and Economic Opportunities

In Kenya, Maziwa has partnered with innovators and daycare managers to train them on breastfeeding techniques and the use of the Wema Breast Pump. This collaboration has not only improved breastfeeding support but also created new income-generating opportunities by enabling daycare centers to rent breast pumps to mothers. This approach helps mothers maintain their work commitments while ensuring excellent infant care.

The organization’s work actively breaks stigmas around breastfeeding, supporting women to thrive both as mothers and professionals, contributing to broader societal acceptance and gender equity.

Organizational Structure

Maziwa functions as a hybrid social enterprise model, leveraging nonprofit frameworks in North America and for-profit operations in Kenya to maximize social impact while ensuring sustainability.

This overview reflects Maziwa’s commitment to maternal and child health through innovative breastfeeding support and community empowerment, making significant contributions to mother and infant well-being, especially in African communities.