A world where infants are nutured, children are loved, youths are empowered and adults are responsible.
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Welcome to Mercy Sarah Foundation
Mercy Sarah Foundation (MESAF) is a community-rooted, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of vulnerable populations through inclusive development, humanitarian response, and sustainable recovery. Founded on compassion, accountability and impact, MESAF delivers people-centered solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
2025 was both demanding and defining for Mercy Sarah Foundation (MESAF). Against a backdrop of protracted conflict, displacement, economic hardship, and climate-related shocks, MESAF stood firmly alongside communities striving to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. In an environment marked by uncertainty and vulnerability, our commitment remained clear: to serve humanity with compassion, accountability, and purpose. Through coordinated programming across education, early recovery and livelihoods, food security, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and protection, MESAF reached vulnerable women, men, children, and adolescents living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and host communities. Our interventions were designed and implemented in close collaboration with communities, local authorities, and partners, ensuring relevance, inclusion, and accountability.
Mercy Aisha Iliya, ED - Mercy Sarah Foundation
Locations
Our Core Values
We address critical humanitarian and development needs by supporting vulnerable individuals and communities to live safer, healthier, and more dignified lives.
We serve vulnerable populations, especially women, children, and youth, in under-served and crisis-affected communities.
Highlights of Projects Implemented
Bridging the Education Gap Through Sustainable Learning project was implemented in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp to address the growing number of out-of-school children whose education had been disrupted by conflict and displacement.
The project responded to the urgent need for access to basic education and aimed to restore learning opportunities for vulnerable children in a safe and supportive environment.The project provided out-of-school children with essential writing and learning materials, including exercise books, pencils, pens, and learning aids, to reduce barriers to participation and encourage regular attendance.
Stand for the Girl Child project was an education and empowerment project aimed at supporting school aged girls to remain in school and thrive academically and emotionally. The project focuses on improving access to essential learning and welfare resources while promoting dignity, confidence, and well-being among girls.Implemented through outreach visits to various girls’ schools, the project provided learning materials, psychosocial support (PSS), sanitary pads, and inspirational quote placards to encourage motivation and positive self esteem. These interventions addressed both academic and non-academic barriers to girls’ education particularly those related to menstrual hygiene management and emotional well-being.Through direct school engagement, the project strengthened the learning environment, promoted girls’ participation and retention in education, and reinforced the importance of investing in the rights and potential of the girl child.
Life Drop is a life-saving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention designed to improve access to safe drinking water and promote essential hygiene practices among vulnerable populations affected by conflict, displacement, and climate-related shocks. In many underserved communities, households rely on unsafe water sources and lack basic hygiene supplies, exposing them to water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and typhoid, particularly among children and the elderly. With support from IOM, the project provides hygiene kits containing essential items such as soap, sanitary materials, handwashing containers, and safe water storage buckets, alongside household water treatment solutions that enable families to treat and safely store drinking water at the point of use.
Safe Kids Project was a six-month child protection project implemented in Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria with a focus on safeguarding the wellbeing and future of conflict-affected children living in an IDP camp. The project targeted 250 vulnerable children, ensuring their protection, emotional recovery, and continued access to education in a safe and supportive environment. Through structured child protection activities, Safe Kids supported children’s access to education by promoting school enrollment, monitoring attendance, and working closely with caregivers and learning facilitators to reduce barriers to learning. Special attention was given to children at risk of dropping out due to displacement-related challenges. A core component of the project was Psychosocial Support (PSS) and mental health assessment, aimed at identifying and addressing trauma resulting from conflict, displacement, and loss.
The Power-Up Brown Project is a community-based nutrition ntervention with technical support from IRC, designed to address acute
malnutrition among vulnerable children aged 6 months to 5 years. The project delivers an Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) using
Tom Brown powder,—a locally produced, nutrient-dense food supplement to support the recovery
and healthy growth of malnourished
children. A 6 months project Implemented at the community level, the project targets children identified through routine screening and referrals, providing Tom Brown
powder alongside nutrition counseling for caregivers.
The Digital Skills Project is a three year EU - funded project implemented in partnership with ZOA
International, with Mercy Sarah Foundation (MESAF) serving as a key local partner. The project was designed to expand access to digital
skills and inclusive livelihood opportunities for women, hard-to reach youth, and persons with disabilities in Borno and Yobe States,where prolonged conflict and limited infrastructure have restricted access to education and employment.The project focuses on building practical, market-relevant digital competencies that enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion. Through structured training sessions, participants were equipped with essential skills such as basic computer literacy, digital communication, online safety, and the use of digital tools for learning and income generation. The training
approach was inclusive and community-based, ensuring participation of marginalized groups
and adapting delivery methods to meet the needs of persons with disabilities and youth in remote locations.