About Us
Mata Iyayen Al'umma Foundation
Mata Iyayen Al'umma Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering communities through social development initiatives, advocacy, and humanitarian services. The Hausa word "Mata Iyayen Al'umma" translates to "Women, the mothers of society." The MIA Foundation was established to foster empathy, strengthen and enhance the capacities of women and families throughout Nigeria, and achieve sustainability and impact for the advancement of both women and society as a whole. MIA Foundation operates nationally and implements interventions that guarantee women's socio-economic transformation through participation in agricultural value-chain enterprises to attain impact on their families. the foundation is positioned to work with government and other stakeholders across its various thematic areas of focus which are central to the foundation's work, these include advocacy, re-orientation, humanitarian and emergency response, entrepreneurship development and empowerment.
MIA Foundation is committed to creating lasting impacts in women’s empowerment and community development.
We are registered by the corporate affair commission (CAC), with our head office located in the beautiful city of Kano, northwest Nigeria. The foundation was officially registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (CAC) on February 5, 2023. Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation was recognised for its contributions towards women’s empowerment through ethical business and finance in WOMAN i reports of 2023 (a global forum founded by Cambridge IFA – Institute of Islamic Finance).
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
To be the leading synergetic brand in building disciplined, self-reliant, and equitably governed societies where women are central to development.
Our Mission
To re-orient and empower women and communities through integrated agricultural value-chain development, facilitated by advocacy, sensitization, capacity building, access to finance, and socio-economic integration.
Mata Iyayen Al'umma Foundation
Thematic Focus/Areas
Advocacy
Engaging authorities to champion women's inclusion in economic interventions, gender equity, and the formal recognition of their contributions to agricultural development and food security.
Re-orientation
Challenging negative socio-cultural norms and fostering a culture of tolerance, respect, and shared accountability through dialogue and community forums.
Humanitarian Response
Providing critical, apolitical relief to alleviate suffering caused by seasonal hardships, guided by the principle of communal support.
Entrepreneurship Development
Building the capacity of women-led micro and small enterprises through targeted training, skills acquisition, and integration into agricultural value-chains to stimulate job creation and economic growth.
Empowerment
Facilitating access to resources, capital, and ownership opportunities to promote social justice, reduce inequality, and build self-reliant communities. We enable the formation of cooperatives, small and medium-scale enterprises following capacity building.
Mata Iyayen Al'umma Foundation
Our Uniqueness
The MIA Foundation’s uniqueness is rooted in its authentic, grassroots genesis. Unlike many organizations, our inception was not top-down; we grew organically from the community we serve.
In 2002, Founder Hajiya Farida Tahir established a small self-help group (SHG) of ten women in Rangaza, Kano State. This initiative blossomed into a Multipurpose Development Cooperative, engaging in crop processing, poultry, fisheries, and crafts. By 2008, the movement, now named “Mata Iyayen Al’umma,” had grown to over 5,000 members across Kano State, formally registering as a cooperative union in 2017.
This deep history provides us with an unparalleled advantage:
- Trust & Legitimacy: Over two decades of embedded community presence.
- Proven Model: A successful evolution from a small SHG to a large cooperative union to a registered foundation demonstrates a scalable and sustainable model for change.
- Intrinsic Understanding: We possess an intimate, firsthand understanding of the barriers women face, from lack of market access and capital to limited technical knowledge.
The MIA Foundation was formally established in 2023 to scale this proven model of change to a national level, transforming local insight into broad-impact strategy.
Women, in our opinion, are the foundation of families and communities. They are crucial to the upbringing of children because they give their families love, support, and care. As a result, they frequently assume leadership positions in community organisations and play important roles in fostering community. Our capacity to bring about long-lasting and sustainable change is what will enable us to empower people. Empowered women and communities are more equipped to recognise their own needs and goals, create solutions that suit them, and act to put those solutions into practice. Enhancing involvement, fostering trust, and fostering a more inclusive and equal society are all possible outcomes of empowerment.
Mata Iyayen Al’umma Foundation works to uplift women and communities by fostering mindset transformation, championing empowerment in agricultural value chain, and driving advocacy that promotes inclusive development
Explore
Contact
No. 273, New Market Road, Tarauni LGA, Kano.
Support
With enthusiastic employees and volunteers, we are ready to support you no matter any time.