If you have already met Willeke de Mos or Peter Laurian you know that they are the driving forces behind the MamaZoeloe foundation.
They met in 2011. Peter coordinated a microcredit project in Tanzania and Willeke volunteered to coach him. Because of her listening ear, Peter regarded Willeke as his “mom from Holland”.
Over time, they became friends and began to offer more and more help to underprivileged people in Sengerema. Willeke as director and fundraiser of the Dutch foundation and Peter as manager of the Tanzanian employees.
Mum of the Zulu’s
The name MamaZulu comes from Willeke’s time in Kwazulu Natal in 2009. She then went to South Africa especially to support AIDS patients in the last phase of their lives. The people she worked with considered her a “Mum of the Zulus.”
The desire to help South Africans came from a previous experience in this beautiful country, having lived there with her family in 1998. While she was staying in a beautiful villa park, she saw daily how many poor people had to survive in a slum. Willeke wanted to help less privileged people and share her happiness with others, in order to multiply the happiness.
Aid to the underprivileged
In February 2011 she founded her own foundation and formed a board. She did not have to think long about the name, it became MamaZulu. Family members, friends and business associates in the Netherlands offered financial support and thus made it possible to help disadvantaged people.
At least once a year Willeke or Peter, who is living in the Netherlands with his wife and their son since 2015, travels to Sengerema to visit the projects and consult with the local employees. Sometimes volunteers travel with them, depending on the needs in Tanzania. MamaZoeloe works together with foundations, churches, hospitals and other partners to improve the quality of life of the local people.
Other stakeholders
Of course, many more people are involved in the work of the foundation, such as colleagues in Sengerema, the board, the donors and partners. You can find them under these headings:
To organization >
To partners >
ANBI registratienummer 8502 63 785