About Us

A ZAIDF facilitator in blue speaks with women seated in a circle during a community session

Who We Are

To empower communities through promotion of equality, dignity of life and sustainable development initiatives

ZAIDF envisions a world where everyone achieves quality of life without discrimination

We are dedicated to improving lives by providing essential services such as safe water, healthcare, education, and protection to vulnerable communities. Our initiatives focus on supporting underprivileged children, advocating for human rights, promoting gender equality, ensuring access to education and healthcare, and fostering sustainable development through community engagement and empowerment.

Core Values

TransparencyAccountabilityGender equalityBeneficiary sustainability

Guiding Principles

Encouragement of local innovations
Enhancing coordination and local networks
Utilization of local resources

Aims and Objectives

Established: Established in 2021 and duly registered in 2022 (5 May 2022)
Registration No.: 179653
Status: Non-governmental, non-profit organisation; women- and youth-led
Founder: Fatima Kolo Lawan

Support universal, sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Improve and sustain primary health care to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by scaling up quality essential maternal and newborn care.
Provide protection services for adults and children, including prevention of and response to child abuse, exploitation and neglect in development and humanitarian situations.
Support government to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, by addressing system barriers to an effective education strategy.
Prevent under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight in early childhood and in women, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and provide timely, quality treatment and care for children with severe wasting and other life-threatening under-nutrition.
Support human development goals through communication, community engagement and social mobilisation that promote positive, measurable behaviour and social change.
Support and promote the global concept of climate change through localisation, to strengthen community effort.

Where We Work

Borno and Yobe States (North-eastern Nigeria) and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Borno State

Interventions across selected Local Government Areas with communities, government institutions and humanitarian actors, in Protection, Child Protection, Gender and Inclusion, Peacebuilding, Livelihoods, Food Security, Health, Nutrition, WASH, Community Engagement and Resilience Building.

Yobe State

Community-focused interventions to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and strengthen resilience: Protection, Livelihoods, Food Security, Disability Inclusion, Health, Nutrition, Community Engagement and Peacebuilding, depending on project requirements and available funding.

FCT, Abuja

Community engagement, protection, livelihoods, health, nutrition, inclusion and resilience-building activities, including sessions on menstrual hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, life-building skills and financial literacy at the Kabusa Community.

Our Team

Executive Director

Fatima Kolo Lawan

Fatima Kolo Lawan is the Executive Director of ZAI Development Foundation. She guides the organization's strategy and partnerships and champions its mission to empower communities through the promotion of equality, dignity of life and sustainable development, with a particular focus on the health, protection and education of vulnerable girls, women and children.

Program Manager
Justina Sini
Justina Sini is the Program Manager at ZAI Development Foundation. She coordinates the planning and delivery of ZAIDF's community programs, working alongside field teams and partners so that every session and intervention reaches the people who need it and leaves them with knowledge and dignity.
Communications
Musa Hassan Wakirwa
Musa Hassan Wakirwa works on communications at ZAI Development Foundation, sharing the foundation's work and the stories of the communities it serves with supporters, partners and the public through its website, social media and partner channels.