The Musa Project

What The Musa Project does

The Musa Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in January 2025 and publicly launched on May 23, 2025 — the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula — by father-daughter team Hal Tilbury (Treasurer, Co-Founder) and Anastasia Marks (Executive Director, Founder). The organization is headquartered in Encinitas, California (1345 Encinitas Boulevard #608) and EIN 33-3063051, with operational presence centered on two Ugandan regional referral hospitals: Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in western Uganda (headquarters of the surgical program) and Lira Regional Referral Hospital in northern Uganda. Its mission is to support a Ugandan-led surgical team, anchored by Professor Musa Kayondo, in delivering free specialized care to women suffering from severe childbirth-related injuries — obstetric fistula, pelvic organ prolapse, perineal tears, and iatrogenic complications from cesarean deliveries. The portfolio spans direct clinical service, surgical outreach camps (7 in 2025, 9 planned for 2026), the Find Her community outreach initiative, the Urogynecology and Female Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Surgery fellowship hosted at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and hospital infrastructure expansion including the new 45-bed Lira ward opened March 7, 2026 and a planned 80-bed Mbarara expansion.

Operationally, The Musa Project funds Ugandan surgeons, fellows, and partner hospitals through 100% of donor contributions — the founding board covers all administrative costs in the United States. Major partners include Mbarara University of Science and Technology (fellowship host), the Ugandan Ministry of Health and regional referral hospitals (clinical delivery), Project C.U.R.E. (medical equipment supply, first container shipped September 2025), and predecessor training collaborations with the UCLA urogynecology team led by Dr. Tom Margolis. Donor acquisition runs through website donations via Zeffy, direct mail, email newsletter, press in San Diego–area business journals, and PR Newswire press releases, with a tote-bag merchandise incentive for donations of $100 or more. In 2025 the organization raised more than $330,000 from individual donors, which combined with a $250,000 dollar-for-dollar matching gift from Hal Tilbury produced $580,000 of program impact, including 599 complex childbirth-injury surgeries and more than 8,800 additional obstetric and gynecologic procedures. A $750,000 capital campaign was launched in February 2026 to fund the Mbarara headquarters expansion.

Name

The Musa Project

Legal name

The Musa Project

Website

https://musa-project.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Musa Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports a Ugandan surgical team, led by Professor Musa Kayondo, in providing free specialized care, training, and hospital infrastructure for women suffering childbirth-related injuries in Uganda, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal Healthcare Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Obstetric fistula treatment
• Maternal healthcare services
• Urogynecology fellowship training
• Nonprofit healthcare delivery
• Surgical outreach camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: The Musa Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that generates revenue entirely through donations. Revenue is raised via online donations, direct mail checks, and corporate matching programs. The organization states that 100% of donations go directly to supporting surgical care, training, and hospital infrastructure in Uganda. A $250,000 dollar-for-dollar matching campaign by a founding board member was used to amplify donor impact. No product or service revenue streams are identified.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Musa Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports Ugandan surgeons in providing free surgical care for women suffering from childbirth-related injuries, including obstetric fistula, pelvic organ prolapse, and perineal tears. The organization funds a two-year urogynecology fellowship at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, expands hospital infrastructure at partner referral hospitals, conducts surgical outreach camps, and runs the Find Her community outreach program to identify and refer isolated women to care. All operations are funded through charitable donations, with 100% of donations directed to surgical care, training, and hospital infrastructure in Uganda.

Product overview

The Musa Project is a nonprofit organization that provides a unified portfolio of healthcare services focused on treating and preventing severe childbirth injuries in Uganda. The core offerings include free surgical treatment for obstetric fistula and related injuries, a pioneering fellowship training program for Ugandan urogynecologists, the Find Her outreach initiative to reach isolated women, and surgical camps that extend specialized care to underserved regions. Infrastructure support through hospital ward expansion and equipment provision complements the service delivery. Together, these programs form a comprehensive approach combining direct patient treatment, workforce development, community outreach, and healthcare system strengthening.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Find Her: An outreach initiative designed to identify and reach women living with obstetric fistula in isolation and connect them with life-changing surgical care.

Products and services

• Surgical Treatment for Childbirth Injuries Free surgical care for women suffering from severe childbirth injuries including obstetric fistula, severe perineal tears, advanced pelvic organ prolapse, and complex surgical complications from cesarean deliveries. Care is delivered through partner hospitals and surgical outreach camps in Uganda.
• Fellowship in Urogynecology and Female Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Surgery A two-year fellowship training program at Mbarara University of Science and Technology that trains African doctors to perform complex fistula and pelvic reconstructive surgeries. Graduates 4–5 doctors every two years at a cost of approximately $38,000 per fellow per year for room, board, and program fees.
• Find Her Outreach Initiative Community outreach initiative that mobilizes local leaders and coordinates with regional hospitals to identify, refer, transport, and support women living with obstetric fistula in isolation, connecting them with life-changing surgical care and recovery support.
• Surgical Outreach Camps Intensive surgical outreach camps that bring specialized urogynecological care directly to women who cannot access referral hospitals. Each camp treats approximately 50 women in a single week, extending reach to underserved and remote regions of Uganda.
• Hospital Infrastructure Expansion Support for expanding and equipping dedicated gynecological wards and surgical infrastructure at partner hospitals, including the completed Lira Regional Referral Hospital expansion (12 to 45 beds) and the planned Mbarara expansion (40 to 80 beds) under a $750,000 capital campaign.
• Comprehensive Obstetric and Gynecologic Care Full spectrum of obstetric and gynecologic care including cesarean sections for obstructed and emergency labor, safe supervised vaginal deliveries, cervical cancer and gynecologic oncology surgeries, and emergency obstetric procedures that save lives and prevent long-term childbirth injuries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 599 complex childbirth injury surgeries performed in 2025; 8,800+ additional obstetric and gynecologic procedures
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Project C.U.R.E.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) partnered with The Musa Project to ship the organization's first container of life-saving medical equipment to Uganda in September 2025. This partnership provides critical medical supplies and equipment needed to support surgical care at partner hospitals.
• Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Musa Project's fellowship program is hosted at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda's second largest medical school. The Fellowship in Urogynecology and Female Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Surgery is the first and only advanced training program of its kind in East, Central, and Southern Africa. Dr. Brenda Ainomugisha teaches at MUST, training future doctors.
• Dr. Tom Margolis / UCLA Surgical TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Tom Margolis, an American urogynecologist, trained Professor Musa Kayondo through the MUST/MFH collaborative Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Program. Dr. Kayondo was the first graduate of this program. Dr. Lauren Wood Thum, a UCLA fellowship-trained urologist, participated in surgical mission work in Uganda in 2018 and 2019 with Dr. Kayondo and a UCLA team led by Dr. Margolis.
• Ugandan Ministry of HealthcoreOthersThe Ugandan Ministry of Health is cited as the source of data on obstetric fistula prevalence (up to 200,000 women living with fistula). The ministry also coordinates public health infrastructure and policy that enables The Musa Project's work through regional referral hospitals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Worldwide Fistula Fund: Worldwide Fistula Fund supports obstetric fistula treatment, surgeon training, and prevention research across multiple African countries. Comparable to The Musa Project in combining clinical care with training investment.
• Fistula Foundation: Fistula Foundation is the largest dedicated global funder of obstetric fistula treatment and prevention, supporting hospitals and surgeons across Africa and Asia. It is the most directly comparable organization to The Musa Project in mission, geography focus, and surgical camp model.
• EngenderHealth: EngenderHealth is a global reproductive health NGO with dedicated fistula prevention and treatment programs, including surgeon training and facility partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It overlaps with Musa Project on surgical training and clinical service delivery.
• Operation Fistula: Operation Fistula focuses specifically on funding and coordinating obstetric fistula surgery through partner surgeons and hospitals in Africa. Its mission and surgical-camp approach closely mirror The Musa Project's core service.
• Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia: Hamlin operates the flagship fistula hospital in Addis Ababa and the Hamlin College of Midwives, pioneering in-country training and surgical care for childbirth injuries. It shares The Musa Project's integrated model of treatment plus workforce development, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Amref Health Africa: Amref Health Africa is the largest African-based international health NGO, headquartered in Nairobi with extensive training, surgical, and maternal health programs across East Africa. It shares regional focus and workforce development orientation with The Musa Project.

Broad incumbents

• Partners in Health: Partners in Health is a large, established global health equity organization operating hospitals and training programs in multiple low-income countries, including East Africa. Comparable as a broad incumbent with surgical care and clinician training in similar settings.
• Mercy Ships: Mercy Ships operates hospital ships delivering free surgical care and training local providers in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a broad incumbent in surgical mission delivery, sharing Musa Project's surgical-camp and workforce development model but at much larger scale and different delivery mechanism.

Emerging players

• Seed Global Health: Seed Global Health partners with universities and ministries to train physicians, nurses, and midwives in low-income countries including Uganda. Comparable as a workforce-development organization with overlapping training mission.

Others

• Project C.U.R.E. Project C.U.R.E. is the world's largest distributor of donated medical equipment and is an active partner of The Musa Project (shipping equipment to Uganda in 2025). It is an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-musa-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Musa Project