Meet the founder

Mercy Chikhosi Kafotokoza’s journey into maternal and child health began not in a classroom or a clinic, but in the quiet heartbreak of rural Malawi. As a young girl, Mercy experienced the heartbreak of losing her uncle to a preventable condition, a simple tooth infection that spread to his brain due to lack of access to timely medical care. The nearest clinic was over 50 kilometers away and by the time he reached it by oxcart, it was too late.

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“When I grow up, I will be a nurse so that no one in our community or family dies from something that is treatable.” Mercy, age 9

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That vow became her life’s mission.

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Years later, as a qualified nurse serving rural communities, Mercy was again shaken by the preventable death of a young mother and her newborn twins, another life lost not due to lack of medicine, but lack of access. The mother had suffered days of headaches with no transport or money to reach a hospital. That moment rekindled Mercy’s childhood promise and deepened her conviction: healthcare must go to the people, not wait for them to come.

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In 2016, Mercy founded Wandikweza, a community-led organization delivering health with dignity directly to people’s doorsteps. What began with a vision has grown into a movement: today, Wandikweza supports trained Community Health Workers and Nurses on Bikes who serve the most remote populations in Malawi. These frontline health workers are transforming lives, not just by treating illness, but by restoring trust, dignity, and agency in communities that had long been left behind.

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Wandikweza has become more than a provider of healthcare, it is a trusted voice for change in the communities it serves. Through deep, consistent community engagement, the organization is also creating space for dialogue around family planning, girls’ empowerment and domestic violence. With community engagement at its core, Wandikweza is proving that when you change attitudes, you change outcomes.

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In 2023, Mercy’s extraordinary work was recognized at the highest level with the Presidential Zikomo Award, honoring changemakers who lead transformational solutions to Malawi’s greatest challenges. It was a proud moment not only for Wandikweza, but for Mercy’s family and especially for her grandmother, who lived to see her granddaughter fulfill a dream born out of grief and turned into generational hope.

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Mercy is a Malawian nurse, midwife and public health professional with a Master’s in Public Health. She is also a mother of three and a passionate advocate for equity, compassion and the power of proximity. Her story is proof that from personal pain can rise powerful purpose and from one woman’s vision, an entire nation can begin to heal.