The Alliance

Currently, MAMAS Alliance is a network of 36 independent autonomous grassroots organisations, operating from 75 sites across South Africa. We work in predominantly remote, rural, semi-urban and urban areas in South Africa. We provide structural and practical daily care to the most vulnerable and needy children. This grassroots level network of MAMA POWER has been created among organisations receiving support from Kinderfonds MAMAS, an NPO based in the Netherlands which raises funds for childcare organisations in South Africa.

Leading principles of the MAMAS Alliance 

We believe in:

• The best interest of the child as an unconditional choice;
• The crucial care and leadership of the MAMAS: for they know and understand best what our children need;
• The power of grassroots change and development, based on community ownership; 
• Continuous and sustainable childcare based on long term commitments which create consistency in the life of children; 
• Non-prescriptive collaboration with and between the Alliance partners;
• The power, loyalty, common sense and creativity of ordinary people;
• Sharing and caring.

The dream of the MAMAS Alliance is:

• To ensure that the ever-growing number of vulnerable children and youth in the care of the MAMAS will be able to reach their full potential;
• To create a stronger and better heard voice in the country from the organisations serving at grassroots levels;
• To achieve full recognition of the effectiveness and crucial value of grassroots, community-driven childcare initiatives;
• To enable our children to break the cycle of poverty and support them on 'their long walk to freedom';
• To achieve real and sustainable change through a network of MAMAS across the country that will reach out to millions of children who would otherwise face a hopeless future.

How does the MAMAS Alliance work/operate?

• All partners NGOs of MAMAS Alliance are supported and co-funded by Children's Fund MAMAS in the Netherlands and many other funders (different per partner NGO);
• Each partner voluntarily joins the Alliance;
• By joining the Alliance, organisations express their eagerness to SHARE ideas, concepts, experiences, innovations and energy, and to collaborate and join forces wherever possible and effective;
• Their collaborative national CSI-initiative is a good example thereof. 

Even though all organisations are different in size, location, target group and concept, the organisations all share the same values and professional standards, and bear a common vision of saving children from futureless situations.