Milele Zanzibar Foundation

What Milele Zanzibar Foundation does

Milele Zanzibar Foundation (MZF), founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mbweni, Zanzibar, is a Tanzanian non-profit foundation operating a portfolio of community development programs across the Zanzibar archipelago, including Unguja and Pemba islands. Its work is organized around a lifecycle continuum: Early Childhood Development ("Foundation First" covering ECD, nutrition, health, and family wellbeing), Core Learning (foundational literacy, numeracy, and 21st-century skills for primary-age children), Future Pathways (youth economic empowerment), and Blue Economy Livelihoods (seaweed farming, organic agriculture, spice value addition, soap-making, and aquaculture). The foundation complements these with two digital products: the Mzazi Makini mobile application, which enables health workers such as those at Bumbwisudi Health Centre to register and monitor pregnant women, and MsingiTek, a tablet-based learning initiative deployed in selected government schools. The model is funded entirely through donations and grants, with visible anchor partners including Dubai Cares (financial partner) and Voluntary Service Overseas, and is formally aligned with the Government of Zanzibar's ZSGRP III national strategy. Programs are delivered directly to communities through Shehia Advisory Committees, health facilities, government schools, and master trainers, supported by a 29-person staff across Unguja and Pemba and a broader ecosystem of partnerships spanning SUZA, Barefoot College, Stem 4 Success, Uwezo Tanzania, Fursa Kijani, Innovation Park, Msonge Organic, and Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster. Service delivery is free to beneficiaries; the foundation's commercial analog is donor fundraising and grant compliance rather than sales.

Name

Milele Zanzibar Foundation

Legal name

Milele Zanzibar Foundation

Website

https://mzfn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Milele Zanzibar Foundation is a Zanzibar-based non-profit founded in 2014 that delivers community development programs in education, maternal health, youth economic empowerment, and livelihoods to beneficiaries across the Zanzibar archipelago, funded through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education (BPADAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Maternal, Infant & Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Programs (BPADAJAC), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Early childhood development
• Youth economic empowerment
• Maternal health services
• Education and literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mbweni, Zanzibar

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Foundation operates as a charitable organization receiving financial contributions from donors. Bank account provided at Diamond Trust Bank (T) Ltd, Zanzibar Branch for USD donations. Accepts volunteer contributions of time and expertise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Milele Zanzibar Foundation delivers community development programs across the Zanzibar archipelago targeting early childhood development, foundational education for primary school children, youth economic empowerment, and maternal and community health. The foundation also operates the Mzazi Makini mobile app for maternal health and the MsingiTek tablet-based learning initiative in government schools.

Product overview

Milele Zanzibar Foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected social impact programs rather than a unified software platform. The foundation's offerings include the Mzazi Makini App for maternal health support, the MsingiTek tablet-based learning initiative for digital education, Early Childhood Development (Foundation First) programs, Core Learning educational programs for primary students, Future Pathways youth economic empowerment, and Blue Economy livelihoods programs. These programs work together to address education, health, and economic development needs in Zanzibar communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mzazi Makini App
• Foundation First (Early Childhood Development Program)
• Core Learning Program
• Future Pathways Program
• Blue Economy Livelihoods
• MsingiTek

Quantifiable outcome

• 265 people trained in soap making through local materials
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational volunteer organization partnership for development programs in Zanzibar.
• Zanzibar Seaweed ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cluster organization supporting seaweed value chain development and economic empowerment for coastal communities.
• Barefoot CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for innovative education approaches targeting underserved communities.
• Government of ZanzibarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal government partnership aligned with ZSGRP III (Zanzibar Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty) supporting human capital development, environmental sustainability, quality services, and inclusive growth.
• Suza (State University of Zanzibar)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with State University of Zanzibar for education and development programs.
• Stem 4 SuccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM education partnership supporting innovation and skills development.
• Uwezo TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation-focused partnership supporting learning assessments and improvements.
• Fursa KijaniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental or green initiatives partnership.
• Innovation ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem partnership.
• Fumba Town DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban development partnership.
• Msonge OrganicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic agriculture partnership for sustainable farming practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Tanzania: Large INGO running child sponsorship, education, health, and livelihoods programs across Tanzania including community-led development models similar to MZF's Shehia Advisory Committee approach.
• Plan International Tanzania: INGO focused on children's rights, education, and youth empowerment in Tanzania. Comparable in targeting school-age children, adolescent girls, and community-led development approaches.
• CARE International Tanzania: International NGO with maternal health, girls' education, and economic empowerment programs across Tanzania, including community-driven approaches similar to MZF's participatory development model.
• UNICEF Tanzania: UN agency implementing large-scale maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (MNCAH) and education programs across Tanzania. Directly comparable to MZF's ECD and maternal health work in Zanzibar, though with a much broader national mandate.

Direct peers

• Children in Crossfire: Development NGO focused specifically on ECD, education, and child rights in Tanzania and Zanzibar region. Closely comparable in mission, geographic focus on Zanzibar, and integrated ECD-plus-education portfolio.
• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): International volunteer-sending organization working in education and livelihoods in Tanzania and a named MZF partner. Operates comparable community capacity-building and youth empowerment models.
• Save the Children Tanzania: International NGO delivering ECD, foundational literacy, and child protection programs in Tanzania. Closely comparable to MZF's Foundation First and Core Learning programs targeting 0–10 year olds in underserved communities.
• BRAC Tanzania: International development organization running ECD, microfinance, and youth livelihood programs in Tanzania. Directly comparable to MZF's combined ECD, youth economic empowerment, and community capacity-building model.
• Dubai Cares: UAE-based philanthropic foundation funding primary education and youth development programs in developing countries, including Zanzibar. Named major partner to MZF and operates similar grant-funded ECD/education portfolios.

Emerging players

• FHI 360 Tanzania: International NGO implementing education, health, and youth programs in Tanzania. Comparable in running integrated education-and-health portfolios targeting underserved communities, though with broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milele-zanzibar-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Milele Zanzibar Foundation