WHAT WE DO
OUR APPROACH
Empathy built from lived experience, innovation born from necessity, and advocacy that transforms personal pain into national progress.
Empathy
Empathy is where every DMF story begins. Doris’s own journey as a premature baby taught her that listening is a form of healing. That’s why DMF’s team spends time in neonatal wards, village gatherings, and community halls not just to give, but to understand. They sit beside mothers of preemies, hold their hands, and hear their fears. These real conversations inspire DMF’s programs, from fighting for extended maternity leave to designing projects that reflect families’ real needs. Every action is shaped by lived experiences, proving that compassion can be the strongest strategy.
Innovation
At DMF, challenges spark creativity. The Foundation believes that saving lives requires more than goodwill — it demands fresh ideas and bold partnerships. DMF became the first NGO in Tanzania to collaborate directly with the government on preterm care, setting new national standards. When health talks weren’t reaching young people, DMF brought cinema to classrooms, using storytelling to educate and inspire. And when no one had data on preterm care costs, DMF led a groundbreaking study to reveal the hidden financial and emotional burdens families face. Every innovation starts with one question: what will make life better for those we serve?
Advocacy
Advocacy is the heartbeat of DMF’s mission. Doris turned her personal survival story into a national voice for change. From walking into government offices alone to leading coalitions of NGOs, she has tirelessly championed the rights of preterm babies and their parents. DMF’s advocacy helped reform Tanzania’s labor law to recognize the needs of preterm infants — a first in Africa — and inspired global awareness through World Prematurity Day. Today, DMF stands as a trusted advisor to policymakers and partners, proving that when lived experience meets persistence, entire systems can transform.
The Models
Okoa Kichanga Model
This is DMF’s on-the-ground, life-saving model that fortifies healthcare facilities and caregivers to give every premature baby a fighting chance. It focuses on strengthening the capacity of local hospitals to support preterm babies outside their mother’s womb. In practical terms, this means getting critical equipment to neonatal units, training healthcare workers in newborn care, and providing direct support to preemie families. Okoa Kichanga can be summed up as “equip, train, and save”. DMF delivers incubators, oxygen concentrators, phototherapy units, and more to hospitals in need, and ensures doctors and nurses know how to use them. The model’s goal is simple: no baby born too soon should die due to lack of essential care.
Advocacy Model
This is DMF’s engine for systemic change, it tackles prematurity at the policy and societal level. In simple terms, this model uses evidence, storytelling, and coalition-building to influence laws, budgets, and public opinion in favor of preterm infants and maternal health. It’s about making sure the issues affecting premature babies and their mothers are heard in the halls of power and woven into national priorities. The Advocacy Model works by engaging everyone from grassroots communities to parliamentarians. For example, DMF convened a broad SRHR coalition that successfully pushed the government to amend maternity leave laws for preterm babies. The essence of this model is “changing the rules and the conversation”: it raises awareness through media and education campaigns, and simultaneously lobbies decision-makers to enact supportive policies. In doing so, DMF ensures that individual stories of struggle translate into collective action and lasting policy reforms.
Achievements
