It’s Mother’s Day in many of the African countries where we work and in the U.S. We are celebrating the extraordinary mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, mentors, and friends who transform our lives and make the world brighter… because it starts with her.   

For many women and families in Nomazamo, an impoverished community on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, it starts with the women employed as mothers2mothers (m2m) Mentor Mothers who bring health and hope to the community.  

Among them is Millicent. She has dedicated her life to providing the health education and services she wished she had access to when she tested positive for HIV in 2002 at just 17 years old.   

At the busy clinic, Millicent and her fellow Mentor Mothers provide health services for HIV and other preventable and treatable diseases to dozens of people each day, working in close partnership with nurses and other staff at the health facility. They also go door-to-door in the community to reach people who need additional support.  

Millicent says these community visits can be difficult because that’s when you see just how much people are struggling but she draws on her own experience to help them. “We come from the community, so we understand the challenges that people face, the inequities that exist, and we know how to overcome them…because we did this ourselves,” she says. 

As testament to the profound impact that Mentor Mothers have in their communities, just listen to the appreciation that Millicent’s clients recently gave her.  

“If it was not for you, I wouldn’t be standing here. Not me only, but you did it for everyone in the community,” said one of Millicent’s clients.  

“You helped us to heal. You have given us the confidence to stand up and speak,” another client added.  

Mentor Mothers’ work is more critical than ever as drastic foreign aid cuts have devastated health services across sub-Saharan Africa. Millicent says that funding cuts forced an NGO providing HIV testing and counselling at her clinic to close. This has made it more difficult for people to access these vital services and is stretching the remaining health staff even further as they work to ensure people get the care they need. 

On Mother’s Day, and every day, we send our deep gratitude to all of the amazing women making a difference in our lives.  

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