LOCAL ROOTS.LASTING IMPACT.
Mumbwa Child Development Agency (MCDA) is an independent, Zambian non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children, young people and families.
With roots dating back to 1983, we work alongside communities to protect children, improve access to education and healthcare, strengthen livelihoods and create opportunities for lasting development.
We believe that every child deserves a safe childhood, every family deserves an opportunity to thrive, and every community has the potential to shape its own future.
Mumbwa Child Development Agency
Grassroots non-governmental development agency serving rural Zambia.
Affiliated with District Councils, Line Government Ministries and Traditional Leadership across Central Province.
Guiding Our Strategy and Service
Bringing Lasting Improvements to Children’s Lives
To bring lasting improvements to the well-being of children and youth by creating a social and economic environment conducive to their development, through the active involvement of communities and development partners in child-centred interventions.
A Better Future for Every Child
We envision communities where children grow up safe, healthy, educated and empowered to fulfil their potential.
Our aspiration is a society where families are resilient, opportunities are accessible, and communities have the knowledge and capacity to sustain their own development.
The Principles That Guide Our Work
Children First
We place the well-being, rights and development of children at the centre of our work.
Respect, Integrity and Accountability
We treat people with dignity, uphold ethical standards and remain accountable to the communities and partners who place their trust in us.
Partnership and Community Participation
We believe lasting development is achieved when communities, government and development partners work together.
Excellence and Responsibility
We are committed to using resources efficiently and delivering interventions that make a meaningful difference.
Innovation and Creativity
We embrace practical, locally appropriate solutions that respond to the changing needs of children and communities.
Four Decades of Commitment to Zambian Communities
Where Our Story Began
Our journey began in Mumbwa through the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), supporting vulnerable children and families through community-based development initiatives.
Becoming a Local Development Agency
Community associations came together to establish Mumbwa Child Development Agency as a locally rooted organisation, strengthening community ownership and leadership in development.
Strengthening Our Institutional Foundation
MCDA’s registration under Zambia’s Non-Governmental Organisations Act No. 16 of 2009 reflects its continuing commitment to lawful operations, institutional accountability and service to communities.
Today, MCDA continues to build on this experience, combining local knowledge with professional expertise to address the needs of children, young people and families.
Supporting Children. Strengthening Families. Building Communities.
Our programmes respond to the interconnected challenges facing rural communities.
We work to protect children from abuse and exploitation, improve maternal and child health, expand educational opportunities, strengthen household livelihoods and support communities facing environmental and economic challenges.
Our approach recognises that a child’s well-being is closely connected to the strength of the family and the resilience of the surrounding community.
By working with children, parents, traditional leaders, government institutions and development partners, we help communities build solutions that can endure.
Four Interconnected Pillars
Holistic community-led programmes addressing the root causes of rural vulnerability.
Child Protection & Safeguarding
Preventing violence, ending child marriage and supporting local child protection committees.
Health, Nutrition & Early Childhood
Maternal health, infant nutrition, clean water and early childhood care.
Education & Youth Empowerment
Permanent classroom construction, girl child retention and vocational training.
Climate-Resilient Livelihoods & WASH
Solar boreholes, savings groups and smallholder farming resilience.
Development Led by the People It Serves
MCDA’s greatest strength is its relationship with the communities it serves.
Our work is supported by 23 experienced staff members, 12 Community Association Boards, 40 Zonal Committees and more than 510 trained community volunteers.
These local structures help identify community needs, mobilise participation, deliver programmes and strengthen accountability.
They ensure that development is not simply brought into communities, but shaped and sustained by the people themselves.
Experienced Staff Members
Community Association Boards
Zonal Committees
Trained Community Volunteers
Working Together for a Stronger Zambia
We recognise that meaningful development requires collective effort.
Over the years, MCDA has worked with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, ChildFund Zambia, international development organisations, civil society institutions and traditional leadership.
Our partnerships have supported initiatives in education, health, nutrition, child protection, women’s empowerment, livelihoods and disaster risk reduction.
We value partnerships built on mutual respect, transparency, shared responsibility and a genuine commitment to improving people’s lives.
Every Child Deserves Protection, Care and Opportunity
Children are at the heart of everything we do.
We believe every child has the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard and to grow in a protective environment.
Through community child protection structures, awareness programmes and collaboration with relevant authorities, MCDA works to prevent violence, exploitation, child marriage and other threats to children’s well-being.
Our responsibility is not only to respond when children face difficulties, but also to help create families and communities where they can grow with confidence, dignity and hope.
To learn more about our child safeguarding protocols or report a child protection concern, please visit our Safeguarding and Reporting Information →
Rooted in Trust. Guided by Responsibility.
MCDA is governed through an executive board that provides strategic oversight, supported by a professional management team and established community structures.
As a registered Zambian non-governmental organisation, we are committed to responsible management, institutional transparency, effective programme monitoring and compliance with applicable laws.
We recognise that every partnership, every contribution and every programme carries a responsibility to the people we serve.
Legal Status & Compliance
RNGO 101/0409/2024, Issue 3
Non-Governmental Organisations Act No. 16 of 2009
Mumbwa, Central Province, Zambia
Together, We Can Build Lasting Change
The future of Zambia begins with the well-being of its children and the strength of its communities.
For more than four decades, our journey has been shaped by the determination of ordinary people to create better opportunities for the next generation.
We welcome development partners, institutions and individuals who share our commitment to protecting children, empowering families and strengthening communities.
Together, we can build a future in which every child has the opportunity to thrive.