THE CHALLENGE
Child and maternal complications remain major yet overlooked health challenges in Tanzania. Most of these tragedies are preventable, with better maternal care and neonatal support
Born Too Soon, Meant for More
Born at just 900 grams, Doris Mollel defied the odds, a premature infant who survived when so many others in Tanzania do not. Starting in 2012, Doris leveraged beauty pageant platforms like Miss Tabata, Miss Ilala, and ultimately Miss Tourism, not for glamour, but for impact. She launched “Tourism for Charity,” providing orphaned children with educational trips to Tanzania’s heritage sites. But it was a visit to a neonatal intensive care unit that transformed her trajectory. Witnessing premature infants fighting for survival in under-resourced facilities, Doris found her mission. In February 2015, she formalized her vision by founding the Doris Mollel Foundation (DMF). Working largely alone in those early days, Doris drafted proposals, lobbied tirelessly, and personally secured funding to purchase incubators and oxygen concentrators for hospitals lacking adequate neonatal care. Her persistence turned rejection into resources, and equipment into saved lives. Today, DMF partners with government and health institutions across East Africa, advocating for policy reforms, improved hospital infrastructure, and public awareness on newborns.
Vision
To advocate, educate, investigate, litigate, advance, and protect the rights of Tanzania’s preterm infants, girls, and women.
Mission
We envision a barrier-free, inclusive, diverse world that values each individual and their voice as well as preterm infants, girls, and women enjoy the power of equal rights and opportunities, dignity, choice, independence, and freedom from abuse, neglect, and discrimination.
Values
Empowerment, Respect, Inclusion, Commitment and Achievement.
The Doris Mollel Foundation Story
Founded with a mission to give every child a fighting chance, the Doris Mollel Foundation champions maternal and neonatal health across Africa. Our journey is one of hope, impact, and lasting transformation in communities that need it most.
The Beginning
Doris Mollel launches the country’s first organization devoted solely to the needs of premature infants. This year marks the beginning of a warm, inclusive movement to give every tiny life a fighting chance.
Advocacy for Prematurity
DMF takes its first bold advocacy step, urging the government to integrate prematurity education into the national school curriculum. This early push reflects the belief that awareness saves lives, by educating future generations about preterm care, DMF begins planting the seeds of lasting change.
DMF Pushes for Extended Parental Leave
The fight moves into the halls of government. DMF formally presents the case for extended parental leave to a senior official, Hon. Angellah Kairuki, in the President’s Office. It’s a courageous ask, giving parents of preemies more time to care – and though met with initial skepticism, it sparks a much-needed conversation about compassionate policy.
A Landmark Year of Advocacy
Gaining momentum, DMF unites key partners and lawmakers behind the prematurity cause. In June, the foundation convenes a landmark workshop in Dar es Salaam with UN representatives to champion longer leave for preemie parents. By November, DMF is addressing Members of Parliament in Dodoma, the first time Tanzania’s leaders hear directly about the struggles of preterm babies and their families. This pivotal year transforms awareness into urgent action.
Strengthening the Fight
Even amid global challenges, DMF expands its coalition and redoubles its advocacy. The foundation forges closer partnerships with health stakeholders and pushes for insurance reforms to cover preterm infant care. In a difficult year defined by uncertainty, DMF’s persistence lays vital groundwork for the breakthroughs to come.
Turning Prematurity Into a National Priority
A breakthrough year as DMF’s advocacy leaps forward. The Prematurity Agenda 2021 is launched in partnership with Parliament’s Social Welfare Committee, a nationwide campaign urging extended maternity leave, insurance coverage for preemies, and prematurity education in schools. Lawmakers and communities rally behind the cause, and Tanzania’s private insurers take a historic step, for the first time they agree to include preterm babies’ medical costs in maternity insurance packages. The journey isn’t without resistance from some quarters, but DMF’s conviction turns prematurity into a national priority.
Historic Investment in Prematurity
Advocacy turns into tangible change. The National Health Insurance Fund responds by expanding coverage to include premature babies’ medical costs, easing a huge burden for families. That same year, the government commits an unprecedented $22.8 million to combat prematurity, the largest investment of its kind in Tanzania’s history.
DMF Secures a Historic Education Win
A long-fought dream becomes reality: prematurity education is officially woven into Tanzania’s national curriculum. After seven years of perseverance, the knowledge DMF championed will reach classrooms across the country, nurturing understanding and empathy in the next generation.
A Major Leap in Policy Reform
Champions in high office amplify the cause. On May 1, Tanzania’s Vice President publicly endorses the push for special parental leave, declaring that maternity leave for mothers of premature babies should begin only after the baby’s urgent care period – a powerful sign of top-level commitment. By November, Parliament formally introduces a bill to amend labor laws for preemie parents, a clear indication of how far this movement has come.
A New Dawn for Mothers and Babies
History is made. After final debates and refinements, Parliament passes a groundbreaking law in early 2025 extending paid leave for parents of premature babies—making Tanzania the first country in Africa to offer such support. This historic achievement, born of a decade of unwavering advocacy and partnership, stands as a beacon of hope and proof that persistent efforts can rewrite the future for countless families.
A global recognition follows. Through tireless advocacy led by DMF and its partners, World Prematurity Day is officially incorporated into the World Health Organization (WHO) global calendar—an extraordinary milestone that elevates the cause of preterm babies to global attention and celebrates Tanzania’s leadership in prematurity advocacy.
Construction of the Kwimba Mother Newborn Care Unit begins, a state-of-the-art unit built to provide specialized care for mothers and newborns in rural Tanzania. The facility stands as a living symbol of what persistent advocacy, community partnership, and compassion can achieve, transforming policy gains into lifesaving impact.
Building on a decade of newborn health advocacy, DMF formally expands its mission to encompass broader maternal and child health across East Africa. This next chapter focuses on reducing maternal deaths, improving child care access, and ensuring that no mother or child is left behind
Our diverse team drives every change we make
Our diverse team drives every change we make equipping hospitals with neonatal supplies, empowering healthcare workers, and building NICUs where they are needed most all to prevent maternal and newborn deaths and give every child a fighting chance from birth.
Dr. Robert Moshiro
Dr. Albert Chotta
Dr. Aleesha Adatia
Mr. Georgie Ndirangu
Dr. Mteule Nkomo
Deusdedith Edward Mulindwa
Dangio Kaniki
Dr. Bilkis Vissandjée
Veit Bergendahl
Marleen Vellekoop
Vicky Ntetema
Sizya Puya
Beatrice Mbawala
Fatuma Mhina
Shadida Dalanga
Mary Marwa
Halidi Mikidadi Yahaya
Dr. Sylvia Gaudence Ruambo
Rev. Paulo Ole Kurupashi
