Janet’s path to founding Mama na Mwana Foundation is rooted in profound personal loss, spiritual awakening, and a deep commitment to service.

Her journey began in Dar es Salaam, where childhood memories of walking with her mother on quiet Sunday mornings—streets bathed in golden light—left an imprint of love and simplicity. These sacred moments, filled with laughter and ice cream, became the emotional compass that would later guide her through life’s darkest valleys.

At the age of 29, Janet faced a series of devastating losses: her mother in 2010, her father in 2011, and her sister in 2012—all to cancer. The grief was overwhelming, plunging her into a deep spiritual crisis. In 2014, her marriage ended, intensifying her search for meaning and direction. In the silence that followed, Janet began to hear a different kind of call—not from the outside world, but from within. It was the voice of love, of healing, of purpose.

This inner calling led her to work with children suffering from cancer. Alongside ten friends, she co-founded Friends for Children with Cancer (FOCC), offering care and companionship to children facing terminal illness. Through this work, Janet encountered children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus—conditions that opened her heart to a new dimension of service. She saw not only the children’s courage but also the silent suffering of their mothers, many of whom had been abandoned and stigmatized.