Mandla's Foundation

About Mandla’s Foundation 

Mandla’s Foundation was created after a tragedy, the crossing over of Mandla, a young and bright 12 years old, resident of Fort McMurray.Mireille Zatcha, her mom, was inspired to create something to honour her memory after hearing all the impact Mandla had in her community. This started out as a way for family, friends and community members to honour Mandla.

The character traits Mandla displayed while alive and her deep impact on people have led the founder of Mandla’s Foundation to progressively move from a memorial organization to a community serving organization. Today Mandla’s Foundation is dedicated to serve people – in Canada and abroad- in the areas of education, health, and to alleviate the sufferings of others ( low income families, people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship etc) wherever they are. Because of Mandla’s story, we are compelled in Mandla’s Foundation to help bring awareness to the girls and women situations everywhere in the world and also here in Canada with the Indigenous girls and women.

Mandla’s Foundation received a Proclamation on March 9, 2021 declaring March 22nd Mandla’s day in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. So from now on, Mandla will be celebrated on her birthday in her community. Mandla’s Day was declared to recognize Mandla’s impact in her community and to involve youth in community service and social activism, which were very dear to Mandla.  Mandla’s Foundation thinks that it’s important that the youth be inspired by their peers and that they work to promote a friendly and inclusive environment among themselves with Mandla’s motto which is ” It’s a great day to be a great person”. A variety of programs involving youth will be implemented in the Wood Buffalo community soon.

Mandla’s Foundation’s capacity building is supported by the Government of Canada’s Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative and The Africa Centre. 

Municipality of Wood Buffalo Recognizing Mandla Day

Our Mission

Mandla’s Day aims to recognize and celebrate the profound impact that Mandla had on her community through her selfless dedication to community service and social activism. Our mission is to honor her memory by fostering a culture of service and activism among young individuals, providing them with opportunities to engage in meaningful projects and initiatives that address pressing social issues. Through our efforts, we strive to cultivate a generation of compassionate and responsible leaders who actively work towards building stronger, more inclusive communities. By promoting youth involvement in community service and social activism, we aspire to create lasting change and leave a legacy that aligns with the values that were close to Mandla’s heart.

Our Vision

To create a society where Mandla’s legacy of community service and social activism continues to inspire and empower youth to make a positive impact on their communities.


Board of Directors

Kerin Maclean

Chair

Cynthia Zekeng

Vice-Chair

Alain Hounang

Treasurer

Brigitte Dzefack

Director

Charles Agumbiade

Director

Viviane Bile

Secretary

Mireille Zatcha

Executive Director

Contact us

Our Partners and Funders