It has been 21 years since Mothers of Africa became a registered charity in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2004, the charity was conceived at an International Conference in Paris.  It was formed in response to the need for all people to make a contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (later the Sustainable Development Goals).  

Our focus has always been the saving and improvement lives of women, girls and mothers, and indeed of all children.  

Our method has always been to provide educational opportunities whether by building schools and clinics, or by offering courses, in hospitals, in clinics, in general educational settings.  We have been an Education Trust.

Over 20 years, so much has been achieved, first in Benin, Liberia, and Togo, then in Zambia, and in the end in Namibia too.  We raised all the funding ourselves, running everything from cakes sales and sponsored walks to selling Christmas cards and concerts.  

It has been a huge effort by so very many people over these two decades, I think that effort has been worthwhile. We have impacted lives.

In addition to the ‘bread and butter’ fundraising, we have had some fantastic major funders over the years:

Our biggest funder has been Wales and Africa of the Welsh Government, but also we have been significantly helped by Cardiff University and by the  White Feather Foundation and by a group of people in Monaco and France, who have founded Mothers of Africa Monaco (as a separate charity).  We share the same aims and vision.  Please consider supporting them.  They run this website now.  I think a lot of good has been done, through shared work with our African partners, but now the Mothers of African UK branch feel it’s time, after 20 years of sustained effort, to rest from this work and draw a line under our activities. The lives of the current trustees are moving in new directions. 

Thus, as now is the time for change, and after following all the correct UK Charity Commission procedures, we have dissolved the charity.  As of 12th March 2025, the charity is no longer a UK Registered CIO and our work has ceased.

There are too many people to thank. If I mention one and somehow don’t mention you all, then I will have made a mistake, so I’m just going to say: 

“You know who you are, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You have done a great deal of good.”

This little farewell message is tinged with sadness after the incredible journey we have all taken, together in Wales and in Africa, but it is time to just say, ‘its a wrap’.  

With gratitude to all, 

 

Judith

Former Chair of the dissolved UK CIO Mothers of Africa.

On behalf of all previous Trustees

24th March 2025