Background

Ethiopia faces high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Our organization strives to provide accessible, affordable, and quality maternal and child healthcare services. By addressing critical gaps, we empower mothers, support newborns, and invest in the future generation.

Join us in building a brighter future for Ethiopia—one where every child thrives and every mother’s potential is realized

About us

Our Origin: Dr. Mulualem Gessesse and the Genesis of Meklit

The foundation of Meklit Charitable Organization is rooted in the life’s work of our founder, renowned neonatologist Dr. Mulualem Gessesse, who dedicated three decades to enhancing Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) in Ethiopia.

Dr. Mulualem’s journey began with a passion for working with children and was deeply shaped by the high-value care she witnessed in the Cuban healthcare system. Upon returning to Ethiopia, she recognized a critical national gap: the severe lack of required equipment and trained personnel to care for newborns. Carrying the challenges of newborn treatment, she specialized in neonatology and pioneered solutions:

• Pioneering NICU Care: Dr. Mulualem established the neonatology center at Yekatit 12 hospital, gathering minimal equipment and training the first nurses to stop referral dependence on Tikur Anbessa hospital.

• Scaling Expertise: Her efforts expanded critical newborn care capacity by establishing and developing neonatology units at St. Paul, Ghandi, and Zewditu memorial hospitals.

• Accredited Training: She delivered multiple titles as accredited training—including Comprehensive Essential Newborn Care (CENCT) and NICU Level 1 & 2 Nurse Training—to equip hundreds of health professionals, ensuring they are ready to “go the distance” for newborn safety.

Her dedication is our legacy, ensuring that our approach—from training to the App’s design—is grounded in decades of clinical science and practice.

Our Defining Purpose: Fulfilling Humankind’s Potential

MCO exists to solve a fundamental human problem: the lack of accessible, quality care and support that prevents individuals from achieving their highest calling.

Our highest purpose is articulated in our manifesto: To create a societal structure that must fulfill each individual’s potential. This journey of finding one’s place and helping others do the same is what we call “finding your Meklit”.

Vision & Mission

Vision

Our vision is a future where every mother experiences safe childbirth, every newborn thrives, and every child has the opportunity to grow and develop to their fullest potential

Mission

We empower communities by enhancing maternal and child healthcare through training, equipping facilities, and improving referral systems; promoting early childhood development to help every child reach their full potential; and supporting disadvantaged mothers with financial aid, skills training, and job opportunities.