Mary Ajambo is a development practitioner and feminist who strongly believes in the power of educating girls as a pathway to social change. She is the founder team leader of Motherly Heart Organisation, a grassroots organisation that works to end early marriages and teenage pregnancies through education and empowerment.

Her work focuses on three thematic areas: Equality, Health, and Literacy to keep girls in school and help them thrive.

Through the organisation’s equality programmes, Mary has established girls’ clubs in three rural schools and within her community to provide safe learning environments and supportive spaces where girls can build confidence, leadership skills, and resilience. Each year, this program reaches 100 girls and contributes to improved school retention among girls in rural communities.

Under the health program, Mary has trained girls and boys from rural communities to make reusable sanitary pads to address menstrual health challenges that often keep girls out of school. Through this initiative, more than 200 girls have been supported to attend school more regularly and with greater confidence and dignity.  We promote foundational literacy among children below the age of 10, as well as adolescent girls who struggle with reading. Each year, Motherly Heart Organisation reaches over 300 children both in schools and within communities through reading lessons, literacy hubs, and access to books. Children who participate in the programme develop stronger reading skills, greater confidence, and improved academic performance, while also cultivating a lifelong for learning.