The story behind MESDA

Founded in 2019, formally registered in 2024.

The Movement for Economic and Social Development in Africa (MESDA) is a non-profit, community centred organisation established to advance sustainable social and economic development in Africa. We began operations as a grassroots movement in 2019 before formalising our operations and duly registering in 2024 under Registration No.12024101324.

 We emerged from the realization that poverty is not entirely caused by a lack of income, but a lack of sustainable access to systems that create social and economic stability. We recognise that social and economic rights guarantee the foundational entitlements necessary for human dignity, equity and the ability to live a purposeful life.

At MESDA our goal is to solve the problems behind the problems, we seek to achieve this through the operation of the following four programs:

  • Leadership Development (LeD)
  • Law and Welfare (LaW)
  • Business and Human Rights (BHR)
  • Sustainable Empowerment (SEP)

We work alongside civil society, governments and the private sector to strengthen the autonomy and resilience of communities particularly the most marginalised members of society.

MESDA is duly registered as a non-profit organisation under registration no. 12024101324.

What we do:

  • Sustainable Growth

    Supporting local entrepreneurs to create a circular economy within their own communities.

  • Economic Strengthening

    Providing vocational training and capacity building to facilitate market access.

  • Social Safety Nets

    Rights based advocacy and the provision of critical support to vulnerable populations

Vision & Mission

Vision

An Africa where empowered citizens, responsible institutions, and accountable businesses drive inclusive and sustainable development.

  • Vision

    An Africa where empowered citizens, responsible institutions, and accountable businesses drive inclusive and sustainable development.

Mission

To secure the social and economic foundations of human dignity for all individuals through education, empowerment and legal support.

  • Mission

    To secure the social and economic foundations of human dignity for all individuals through education, empowerment and legal support.

Our Core Values

Our operations at MESDA are rooted in the following values:

  • Integrity & Accountability

    We hold ourselves to the highest standards of financial transparency and ethical conduct to ensure that every resource directly serves our mission and honours the trust of our partners and the communities we serve.

  • Transparency

    We maintain clear and honest communication at all levels to all partners, beneficiaries and regulatory bodies.

  • Resilience & Sustainability

    Our operations build local capacity and prioritize environmental stewardship to ensure long term development in the communities we serve.

  • Inclusivity & Equity

    We serve all members of society and ensure equal access to our program benefits without discrimination.

  • Ubuntu and Community-Led Collaboration

    We believe sustainable development must start from within. We work alongside the communities we serve to co-create interventions that respect human dignity, self - determination and local culture.

Meet Our Team

Meamande Wamukwamba

Meamande Wamukwamba

Founder and Executive Director
Ndong’a Joshua Kamelu

Ndong’a Joshua Kamelu

Head of Programs
Kelvin Tambulukani

Kelvin Tambulukani

Finance and Admin Manager
Simunza Mwaanga

Simunza Mwaanga

Program Officer
Joseph Mwamba

Joseph Mwamba

Program Officer

Partners