When Maji Development Coalition (MDC) began its work in 2015, we didn’t show up with a master plan. We arrived with questions—and ears ready to listen.
Before any project began, we conducted a community needs survey to understand what the people of Maji truly needed—not what we assumed from the outside. Since then, MDC has partnered with local leaders, families, and government officials to bring solar power, clean water, and women’s self-help groups to life.
This community-first approach makes MDC different. Here’s how:
- We Respect Local Leadership
Too often, nonprofits enter communities and treat local officials as obstacles. MDC sees them as allies. In Maji, most officials want to serve their people well—and they respond to respect. That’s why MDC works with administrators from day one, forming cost-sharing partnerships and Memorandums of Understanding.
When we bring resources to the table, they match them with labor, logistics, or infrastructure. That’s how we solarized a hospital. That’s how water flows to town and rural homes.
- We Respond to Real Needs
Our work isn’t built on assumptions. Every MDC project—whether it’s solar light in a hospital, gravity-fed clean water systems, or support for women’s groups—has responded directly to requests from the people of Maji.
Listening first builds trust. Trust builds ownership. And when communities feel ownership, they sustain what’s been built.
- We Design for Long-Term Success
Every MDC initiative includes training, follow-up, and local management:
• Our technicians train others in Maji to maintain solar and water systems
• Water committees oversee community distribution points
• The Women’s Development Center will include commercial space to cover its own upkeep
We don’t just launch projects—we leave behind systems that can run without us.
This isn’t flashy. It’s not expensive overhead. But it works.
As we build our final major project—the Maji Women’s Development Center—we’re using the same approach: listening, collaborating, and building something that Maji can carry forward for generations.
