In a time when humanitarian crises are increasing in scale and complexity across Africa and the world, a growing number of organisations are rethinking how aid is delivered.

One such organisation is the Mutual Aim Humanitarian Initiative Foundation (MAHIF), an African- and BIPOC-led nonprofit that is steadily gaining recognition for its community-centred, sustainability-driven approach to humanitarian service and the development of African countries.

Founded by Adeseke Adebambo, MAHIF operates under its parent organisation, Mutual Aim, which was established in 2024 to address a recurring gap in humanitarian work — the tendency to focus on short-term relief without creating pathways to long-term self-sufficiency.

Mutual Aim was built on the belief that affected communities—particularly those in Africa and other underrepresented regions—possess inherent capacity and resilience, but often lack access to resources, infrastructure, and opportunity. The organisation is therefore designed to deliver imemediate humanitarian relief while intentionally investing in systems that allow individuals and communities to rebuild, preserve, and sustain themselves over time.

For MAHIF, sustainable development means increasing access to education and educational supplies, giving future working-class citizens the tools to become productive members of their communities, creating safer and more conducive housing options for individuals and families, creating local businesses that increase job and employment opportunities for youths, and by implication helping them get their own income and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

With a record of interventions across conflict zones, displacement camps, and urban centres, the organisation has recently expanded its footprint with the formal launch of operations in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

From its inception, Mutual Aim adopted a grassroots-informed model, working closely with local partners, volunteers, and community members to identify needs and implement solutions that are both culturally appropriate and economically viable.

At the centre of Mutual Aim’s work is a commitment to human dignity and sustainable impact. The organisation focuses on:

• food security for unhoused and displaced populations;
• access to education and educational materials;
• creation and funding of small, local businesses;
• safer and more dignified housing solutions;
• protection and rehabilitation for vulnerable groups, including women, children, and victims of domestic violence.

Rather than operating as a purely charitable institution, Mutual Aim positions itself as a bridge—connecting communities in need with individuals, institutions, and resources willing to invest meaningfully in their recovery and growth.

Mutual Aim’s Key Initiatives

Mutual Aim’s initiatives are designed to be practical, scalable, and responsive to local realities. Across its projects, the organisation prioritises:

• the distribution of Hot Meals prepared by locally hired cooks — achieving both access to food and creation of employment;
• care packages and hygiene support, which addresses daily living needs and specific challenges such as period poverty;
• small business funding, enabling beneficiaries to achieve financial independence and reduce long-term reliance on aid;
• housing interventions, including home renovations, relocations, and permanent evacuation from unsafe environments;
• education support, through school supplies and partnerships with grassroots schools;
• healthcare access, particularly through sponsorship of medical insurance schemes where direct medical provision is not feasible.

Achievements Across Regions

Congo. Sudan. Chad. USA. And now, Nigeria. These are five countries in which Mutual Aim has, in less than two years, made significant impacts.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

In 2024, Mutual Aim responded to severe humanitarian conditions in displacement camps across the Democratic Republic of Congo. Working with grassroots partners on the ground, the organisation identified critical gaps in food access, shelter, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

As it stands, Mutual Aim’s efforts in Congo have:

• funded 30 small businesses for vendors within displacement camps and provided financial assistance to small vendors within the displacement camps;
• served over 34,000 meals;
• supported approximately 600 children;
• rescued 33 orphans, ensuring their continued care and safe living environments, with nutritious food being a fundamental requirement for all individuals.

Mutual Aim takes on these initiatives in the belief that the children of Africa embody the continent’s future, and their well-being, through access to essential nutrition, and effective learning, must be a priority. Hence, its commitment extends beyond merely providing food; we endeavor to offer meals that are both nourishing and fulfilling.

Chad

Mutual Aim is looking to build a transitional village in Chad to support underrepresented locals, refugee populations and displaced persons from other countries, in Chad. This village will provide support to these beneficiaries and encourage their transition back into everyday society.

Known as the “Mutual Aim Village (MAV) Chad”, this transitional village is projected to bring immediate relief to beneficiaries, and create sustainable change for Chad, its people and those it continues to host.

Sudan

When conflict in Sudan escalated into what has been described as the largest humanitarian crisis in modern history, Mutual Aim extended its interventions to Sudanese displacement camps. Despite the presence of numerous humanitarian actors in Sudan, there remains a plethora of needs to be met.

Hence, Mutual Aim partnered with Sudanese organisations, such as Saving Al-Gineina, which specializes in feeding the displaced people of Sudan within the country and in Chad, and providing medical support for women and children.

In partnership with local allies in Sudan, Mutual Aim has:

• reached over 74,500 individuals;
• supported more than 17,000 families;
• delivered aid to an estimated 1,300 people daily.

The organisation also views Sudan as one of the countries that will potentially benefit from the Chad MAV project in Chad of bringing sustainable change to Western and Central Africa through the Mutual Aim Village (M.A.V. Chad.) With your support, that dream will become a reality.

United States of America

In line with its belief that humanitarian need transcends borders, Mutual Aim has also implemented initiatives in the United States. Food drives and care package distributions have been carried out in Baltimore, Maryland, and Sacramento, California, targeting unhoused populations.

Since the launch of these initiatives, Mutual Aim has assisted over 1,000 beneficiaries in these cities, reinforcing its commitment to dignity-focused humanitarian service regardless of geography.

Lagos, Nigeria

On Saturday, the 13th day of December, 2025. Adeseke Adebambo and her MAHI team launched structured operations in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

While Mutual Aim operates internationally, its decision to establish structured operations in Lagos State, Nigeria, is both deliberate and data-driven. Lagos, Africa’s largest city by population, embodies extreme contrasts: immense economic potential alongside deep poverty, informal settlements, housing insecurity, underemployment, and overstretched public services.

According to Mutual Aim, the decision to establish a Lagos office followed an overwhelming number of direct aid requests from families, single mothers, unhoused individuals, and victims of domestic violence across the state. Research and field engagement revealed recurring challenges, including food insecurity, unsafe housing, limited job access, inadequate schooling, and lack of healthcare support.

The Mutual Aim Lagos Initiatives project is designed to function as a central hub for humanitarian support for families and communities living below the poverty line in Nigeria. Its planned services include:

• distribution of 400 hot meals weekly to unhoused communities;
• weekly distribution of up to 100 care packages and grocery bags;
• funding and establishment of small, local businesses for unemployed residents;
• housing renovation and relocation projects, addressing flooding, structural damage, and unsafe living conditions;
• safe evacuation and housing support for victims of domestic violence, in collaboration with local authorities;
• sponsorship of medical insurance through the Lagos State Health Management Agency; and
• educational sponsorships and supply distribution through grassroots schools.

Operationally, the Lagos office will serve as a physical access point where individuals and families can submit requests for support. Each request will be assessed through investigation and observation, allowing the organisation to tailor interventions to real, verified needs. The initiative will also create employment and volunteer opportunities, particularly for young people, fostering civic responsibility and local ownership of humanitarian solutions.

Mutual Aim’s model has already proven effective in displacement camps in Congo and among the first few beneficiaries in Lagos, where supported families have begun to grow financial independence.

Funding the Vision

Mutual Aim currently operates largely through crowdfunding, public donations, and partnerships, supported by volunteers and social educators who raise awareness about humanitarian crises across Africa and beyond. To expand its Lagos operations and future initiatives, the organisation has set a public fundraising target of ₦100 million, to be allocated transparently toward community relief programs, staffing, operational costs, as well as its expansion.

 

Across Africa and beyond, countless initiatives respond to crises, yet few are designed to rebuild lives in ways that endure. Mutual Aim stands out precisely because it treats humanitarian work not as charity alone, but as a pathway to self-sufficiency, resilience, and restored human potential.

Mutual Aim is redefining what effective humanitarian intervention looks like—grounded in compassion and a sense of collective responsibility, informed by local realities, and driven by sustainability. Its growing impact across Congo, Sudan, Chad, the United States, and now Lagos, Nigeria, signals more than successful projects; it represents a scalable vision for rebuilding communities with dignity at the center, offering a compelling reminder that lasting change begins when aid meets empowerment.

As humanitarian needs continue to evolve, Mutual Aim’s work may well serve as a blueprint for how urban humanitarian interventions can move beyond relief and toward lasting social transformation.

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