Supporting Mothers. Strengthening Families.
Mothers First works alongside vulnerable mothers and families, providing practical support, healthcare access, nutrition, education, and community-based programmes that create lasting change.
Communities We Work With
2026
6 Months
2004
22 Years
2023
3 Years
Discover Our Projects
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Mothers First was founded in 2004 as a small hospital specialising in severe malnutrition in children.
In 2015 we changed our approach to target malnourished pregnant mothers with a food based intervention. The program provides them with food and supplements delivered through the health system.
Our results have been not short of remarkable.
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In 2023, Mothers First established a Listening Tent to hear directly from a newly relocated community of more than 500 households.
Through this process, the community developed six key initiatives. Today, Mothers First works alongside three relocated communities, funding community-led projects that empower local people to address extreme poverty and improve maternal and family wellbeing.
Together, we have:
Built a Birthing Centre and Learning Centre.
Trained traditional birth attendants to improve maternal care.
Provided toilets and emergency shelter for the most vulnerable households.
Established microloan programmes to help families build sustainable livelihoods.
Created kitchen gardens to improve household nutrition and food security.
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In March 2026, Mothers First expanded its Mother Programme into Africa following a partnership formed when the founders of Mothers First and the Urembo Women Development Organisation met. Together, they extended the flagship Mother Programme to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The programme replicates the incentive-based delivery model developed in India and is currently providing nutritious food twice a month to 40 undernourished pregnant women.
Give to the Congo Project
Support expectant mothers in the Democratic Republic of Congo by providing life-changing nutrition, prenatal care, and essential support when they need it most.
In March 2026, Mothers First expanded its Mother Program to Africa following a partnership formed nine months earlier at the Food Systems Summit, where the founders of Mothers First and the Urembo Women Development Organisation first met. United by a shared commitment to improving maternal nutrition, they joined forces to bring vital support to pregnant women and their communities.
Support Mothers First
What You Receive as a Supporter
1. Membership Certificate
Receive a personalised certificate recognising your support.
2. Project Newsletter
Get regular updates on the East Africa expansion and its progress.
3. Monthly Planning Calls
Join monthly calls to hear updates and share ideas.
4. Community Forum
Connect with other supporters and follow the project's journey.
Where Your Donation Goes
$22 Supports One Mother For One Month
Nutritious Food Basket $12.10
Transport to Health Facility $6.00
Project Support and Monitoring $2.95
Health Facility and Contribution $0.76
Maintainence $0.26
Total $22
This is a real-time, meaningful, social experiment on collective action.
We walk together, we hold hands together and we hope together.
Latest News
By taking every step without shoes, Pat aimed to draw attention to the challenges many families face and to inspire others to get involved in supporting their local community. This reminds us that even one person's commitment can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Our founder, Pat McMahon, ran the Cork City Marathon barefoot to raise awareness and support for mothers and children in need. His remarkable challenge reflects the compassion, determination, and hope at the heart of Mothers First.
Mothers First
Where we work and what we do
India and the Demrocratic Republic of the Congo
We implement the Mother Program.
The Program targets undernoursed pregnant mothers with food and sulelments delivered through the health system.
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2 paragrafs
Somiland, East Africa
We work with 3 relocated comunities and fund community lead action to empower communities to long term solutions to ending extreme poverty.
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2 paragrafs
Link to the page for somiland
Were we need you support now
In March 2026, we brought the Mother Program to Africa. This happened when the Founders of Mothers First and Urembo Women Development Organisation
meet at the Food Systems Summit 9 months previously
Better round table grafic meetings every month
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Somiland, East Africa
We work with 3 relocated comunities and fund community lead action to empower comunitys to long term solutions to ending extreme poverty.
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In 2023 Mothers First carried out a Listening Tent with the comunities. 6 durable solutions were identified
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What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead. What sets us apart isn’t just our process—it’s the intention behind it. We take time to understand, explore, and create with purpose at every turn.
Mothers First est 2004
Now we're taking the next step.
Help Us Bring Mothers First
to Congo.
We're seeking 200 supporters to contribute just €5 per month to help establish and sustain our flagship programme in East Africa. Together, we can provide support, resources, and opportunities for mothers and children who need them most.
Nutritious Food Basket $12.10
Transport to Health Facility $6.00
Project Support and Monitoring $2.95
Health Facility and Contribution $0.76
Maintainance $0.26
Total $22
For over 20 years, Mothers First has worked alongside mothers and families in India, providing practical support, healthcare access, nutrition, and community programmes that have transformed lives.
Bringing Hope to East Africa
The success of our work in India has shown what can be achieved when communities come together.
We are now preparing to bring this proven model to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many mothers and families face similar challenges.
Learn more about our work in the DRC here.
Where Your Donation Goes
$22 Supports One Mother for One Month
What You Receive as a Supporter
1. Membership Certificate
Receive a personalised certificate recognising your support.
2. Project Newsletter
Get regular updates on the East Africa expansion and its progress.
3. Monthly Planning Calls
Join monthly calls to hear updates and share ideas.
4. Community Forum
Connect with other supporters and follow the project's journey.
This is a real-time, meaningful, social experiment on collective action.
We walk together, we hold hands together and we hope together.
More about our work in the Congo That we are asking your support for.
A Fortuitous meeting at the food systems summit in Ethiopia in July 2026. Her invitation has led to a beautiful project being implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo just 7 months later.
Watch that beautiful journey here and be part of our journey together.
7 minutes of Possibility
By Mothers First
7 minutes of Possibility is a beautiful journey into the world that we have created by your acts of generosity.
Come journey with us and help us become what we have yet to be.
Where and how our work has evolved in 21 years.
From Varanasi Childrens Hospital to Mothers First
From responding to emergencies to prevention . Empowering mothers is building stronger and more resilient families.
In this Interview in 2012 Founder of Mothers First retells the extraordinary and heart warming story of how Mothers First was founded and its ability to adapt and change.
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Mothers First is provided targted food interventions to over 210 pregant and malnoursed mothers each month.
visit our web page here
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Fullfilling a long held desire to work in Africa. Mothers First began working in a comunity of 600 households in Somiland. The project is about listening to the comunity needs and responding. We have built a bithing centre, developed a miro loans project and water and sanitiotion projects.. Please visit our web page here.
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In February 2026, Mothers First successfully replicated our approach in India to target clinically malnoursed Mothers with local food
Our work in Pictures
India
In 2015 Mothers First transitioned from a program treating severe malnutrition in children
to focus on mothers who were malnourished and pregnant.
Targeting the mothers with highly nutritious food
babies were born better nourished.
We work with care and compassion.
severe malnutrition in children no longer exists in these villages.
Bringing Generational hope.
Our Work in Pictures the Congo
Founders of Mothers First and Rainbow Women Development met at the Food System Summit in Ethiopia in July 2025
February 2026, just 7 months later we begin our new program in the Congo
First Assessment Day
Our targeted approach means that only the most vulnerable mothers receive our intervention.
Super Cereal
The Mothers we work for.
And the Joy
Our Work in Pictures
Somaliland
in 2023 an opportunity presented itself to extend our work beyond India
we held a listening tent for a community of over 500 households who had recently been relocated to a permanent settlement in Somaliland in East Africa.
Listening
The new village
Each Family was given 9 meters by 10 meters
To built a future
All work in the village is carried out by the community themselves.
construction of toilets and shelter repair for the most vulnerable
The traditional midwives asked for a birthing center
The Birthing Centre we Build
Miro Loan Project
Community Discussions
Dry Land Agriculture Project
Our Work in Pictures
Enjoy the Joy
Our work is all about increasing Birth Weight.
We do this by targeting Mothers who malnoursed them selves
We do this by measuring the mothers weight and height
and when they fit the International creteria for malnutrion we provide a food and medicience basket every month.
We contuine the intervention for the first 3 months after dillivery
Every Month approximately 25 babies are born into the project have recied almost 8 months of support
We monitor not just birth weight but the babies height and weight are tracked
Our work is all about increasing Birth Weight.
We do this by targeting Mothers who malnoursed them selves
We do this by measuring the mothers weight and height
and when they fit the International creteria for malnutrion we provide a food and medicience basket every month.
We contuine the intervention for the first 3 months after dillivery
Every Month approximately 25 babies are born into the project have recied almost 8 months of support
We monitor not just birth weight but the babies height and weight are tracked
Our work in Somilland East Africa
As part of the Lis tening tents project
Part of the small business loans for 7 women lead household
Within a hour of kitting out the Birthing centre this happened. Please find this short film of that day