March through May is a special time at mothers2mothers (m2m)—with Mother’s Day celebrated in the U.K. on 19th of March, and across much of the African continent and Europe and in the U.S. on 14th of May. This year we are using these occasions, and the weeks in between, to celebrate the strong women in our lives—our mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers, friends, and colleagues—who nurture us, lift us up, and bring out our best. They demonstrate each and every day the incredible physical, emotional, and inner-strength it takes to care for someone and help them to find their strength—defining what it means to be M❤️MStrong. 

What does M❤️MStrong mean to m2m? 

At m2m, we know all about the importance of strong mothers and mother figures to tackle inequities and make the world a better and healthier place.  We are powered by nearly 1,500 strong, resilient, empathetic, and determined women employed as community health workers, who are called Mentor Mothers. Most of these amazing women are mothers, and all of them are leaders, role models, and sought-after resources in their communities. 

m2m Mentor Mother and her client in South Africa.

What makes Mentor Mothers so effective is they have overcome their own challenges. They inspire women and families to take actions to benefit their health by sharing their own experiences, and providing health services, education, and support to ensure they stay healthy and thrive—including helping clients overcome and access treatment for an HIV diagnosis, to tackling related health challenges such as tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes, or cervical cancer which are more prevalent and more serious for those living with HIV. 

Mentor Mothers’ remarkable impact shows how collective strength and determination can overcome adversity and crisis—in this case, HIV/AIDS and a preventable health crisis facing the African continent—ensuring that no one is left behind in creating health and well-being for everyone, everywhere. 

Over the last 20 years, m2m has created jobs for nearly 12,000 women living with HIV as community health workers. Together, these women have reached almost 15 million individuals with life-changing health services, education, and support. Mentor Mothers have helped keep more than two million at-risk women and children alive. They have achieved virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among their enrolled clients for eight consecutive years, helping a new generation start life HIV-free. 

Take action this Mother’s Day:

Today, we wish our supporters and partners in the U.K. and their loved ones a very happy Mother’s Day. We hope everyone will join us in showing appreciation for the strong women in our lives and thank them for the ways they have made us stronger. If you are interested in learning more about the qualities that make Mentor Mothers such strong forces for change in their communities, follow our social channels—Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter—or visit our donate page m2m.org/strong