About us
Supporting women. Strengthening families. Transforming communities.
Mother to Mother (M2M) is a women-led, non-profit organisation working to prevent violence, support survivors, empower women and girls, and build safer, more equal, and resilient communities.
- Founded
- 3 April 2026
- Founded in
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Working across
- Ethiopia & Sweden
- Led by
- Women, for women
About Mother to Mother
Who we are.
Mother to Mother (M2M) is a women-led, non-profit organization working to prevent violence, support survivors, empower women and girls, and build safer, more equal, and resilient communities.
Mother to Mother was founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 3 April 2026 by Ellen Kjellgren and three co-founders who shared a commitment to women’s rights, equality, dignity, and social justice.
Today, Mother to Mother works across Ethiopia and Sweden, developing sustainable, community-based solutions in collaboration with government institutions, civil society organizations, community leaders, service providers, volunteers, professionals, and international partners.
No woman should have to carry her story alone.
We believe that women and girls affected by violence deserve safety, dignity, compassionate support, opportunities to heal, and the ability to rebuild their lives with independence and hope.
Our mission
To prevent and respond to violence against women and girls by providing protection, psychosocial and psychological support, safe spaces, life-skills development, empowerment opportunities, and pathways to economic independence, while promoting gender equality, positive masculinity, human rights, community cooperation, and sustainable development.
Our vision
A society where women and girls live free from violence, fear, and discrimination, and where safety, gender equality, positive masculinity, and equal opportunities enable individuals, families, and communities to thrive.
Our history
Our history and founding story
Mother to Mother was established in Addis Ababa in 2018 from a shared commitment to protecting women and girls and promoting equality and social justice.
The organization was founded by Ellen Kjellgren and three co-founders, who recognized the need for stronger support systems for women affected by violence and difficult life circumstances.
The founders believed that responding to violence requires more than emergency assistance. Women need access to safe environments, emotional and psychological support, practical skills, economic opportunities, information about their rights, and supportive communities.
From this shared vision, Mother to Mother was created as an organization that combines support for survivors with prevention, empowerment, community engagement, and long-term change.
The founders of Mother to Mother. 
Founders and board members
Our founder
Ellen Kjellgren
Founder and Organizational Director
Ellen Kjellgren is the visionary founder and organizational director of Mother to Mother. Born and raised in Ethiopia, she began her career as a journalist and later worked in women’s rights, advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of women.
As a survivor of sexual and domestic violence, Ellen brings personal understanding to her work. Her own healing journey in Sweden showed her the importance of dignity, safety, professional support, and being heard.
These experiences inspired her to create Mother to Mother — a space where survivors can heal, rebuild confidence, and create new opportunities for their lives.
Board and leadership
The people who steer the work.
Board members
Ethiopia Belay
Director of the organisation representative
Why we exist
Why Mother to Mother exists
Violence against women and girls remains a serious human rights challenge and a major barrier to equality, safety, health, and sustainable development.
Mother to Mother exists to help address these gaps. We create pathways to safety, healing, empowerment, independence, and long-term resilience, while also working with communities to prevent violence and challenge the social norms that allow violence and discrimination to continue.
Women and girls affected by violence may face multiple barriers to accessing the support they need, including:
- Lack of safe spaces
- Limited access to psychosocial and psychological support
- Social stigma and isolation
- Economic dependence and poverty
- Limited knowledge of legal rights
- Difficulties accessing protection and other essential services
- Limited opportunities to rebuild their lives independently
Who we support
Who we support
Mother to Mother primarily supports:
Survivors of domestic violence who need safety, healing, and support
Women, girls, mothers, and children affected by domestic violence
Families facing difficult life circumstances as a result of domestic violence
Men who want to promote positive masculinity, healthy relationships, gender equality, and non-violent communities
We believe that preventing domestic violence requires supporting survivors while also engaging families, communities, and men as partners in creating safer and more equal relationships.
Our core values
Seven commitments.
- 01
Safety and Protection
We prioritize the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of women, girls, children, and survivors.
- 02
Respect and Dignity
We treat every person with dignity, compassion, confidentiality, respect, and without discrimination.
- 03
Care and Recovery
We support survivors in their journeys toward healing, recovery, resilience, and personal growth.
- 04
Empowerment and Equality
We promote women’s rights, independence, equal opportunities, participation, and the ability to make informed choices about their lives.
- 05
Integrity and Accountability
We work transparently, responsibly, ethically, and with accountability to the people, communities, partners, and supporters we serve.
- 06
Community Cooperation
We believe sustainable change requires cooperation between women, families, communities, institutions, government, civil society, and other partners.
- 07
Hope and Healing
We believe that survivors can heal, regain confidence, and build positive and independent futures.
Our objectives
What we set out to achieve.
- 01
Psychosocial and psychological recovery
To provide professional individual and group counselling and psychosocial support to people affected by violence and trauma, helping improve wellbeing, restore self-esteem, strengthen resilience, and support informed decision-making.
- 02
Safety and protection
To strengthen protection mechanisms and facilitate access to safe and confidential environments for women and children affected by violence.
- 03
Economic self-reliance
To reduce vulnerability caused by poverty by supporting women with vocational skills, financial literacy, digital skills, and opportunities for economic independence.
- 04
Life skills development
To strengthen communication, health awareness, parenting, relationship skills, conflict resolution, personal development, and knowledge of legal rights.
- 05
Violence prevention and community awareness
To reduce violence and social stigma through education, awareness, community engagement, advocacy, and prevention initiatives.
- 06
Gender equality and positive masculinity
To promote gender equality, respectful relationships, positive masculinity, non-violent behaviour, shared responsibility, and healthier family and community relationships.
- 07
Stronger community protection systems
To strengthen cooperation between communities, government institutions, service providers, civil society organizations, and other relevant actors to improve prevention, protection, referral, and response systems.
Our approach
Our approach
Mother to Mother uses a survivor-centred, trauma-informed, person-centred, and community-based approach.
We recognize that every survivor’s experience is different. We therefore seek to understand individual needs, choices, circumstances, culture, and priorities.
We aim to ensure that people accessing our programmes are treated with:
- Dignity
- Safety
- Confidentiality
- Respect
- Compassion
Our work combines lived experience, professional knowledge, community engagement, and institutional partnerships. We believe that sustainable change requires both individual support and broader community transformation.
Protection and referral
Mother to Mother does not need to provide every service directly. We work with relevant institutions and service providers to develop referral pathways that can connect women, children, and families to appropriate:
- Health services
- Psychological and psychosocial services
- Legal assistance
- Protection services
- Social services
- Other specialized support
Our aim is to strengthen cooperation so that survivors do not have to navigate complex systems alone.
Positive masculinity and prevention
Preventing violence requires more than supporting survivors after violence occurs.
Mother to Mother works to promote positive masculinity, gender equality, respectful relationships, shared family responsibilities, non-violent communication, and healthy models of masculinity.
We believe that men and boys can be important partners in preventing violence and creating safer families and communities.
Where we work
Where we work
Mother to Mother’s roots are in Ethiopia, where the organization was founded in Addis Ababa in 2018.
The organization also has a presence in Sweden, where work is connected to the broader vision of supporting women, families, equality, and community development.
Mother to Mother seeks to strengthen connections between local experience, international knowledge, professional expertise, and community-based approaches.
Current programme focus
Mother to Mother’s current programme development in Ethiopia focuses particularly on trauma recovery, psychosocial support, community awareness, capacity building, and strengthening local protection and referral systems.
The organization is developing community-based programmes in collaboration with local institutions and partners.
As resources and partnerships grow, M2M aims to expand its programmes to reach more women, children, families, and communities.
Safeguarding and accountability
Mother to Mother is committed to creating environments where women, girls, children, staff, volunteers, and partners are treated with dignity and protected from harm. Our organizational development includes strengthening policies and procedures relating to:
We believe that organizations working with vulnerable people must hold themselves to high standards of responsibility, transparency, and ethical practice.
- Safeguarding
- Child protection
- Confidentiality
- Data protection and privacy
- Survivor consent
- Do-no-harm principles
- Non-discrimination
- Professional conduct
- Complaints and feedback
- Financial accountability
Partnerships
Partnerships and collaboration
Mother to Mother believes that lasting change is built through partnership. We welcome collaboration with:
We welcome collaboration with
- Women’s rights organizations
- Local and international NGOs
- Government institutions
- Community-based organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- Research and academic institutions
- Health and protection services
- Donors and development partners
- Businesses and foundations
- Professionals and technical experts
- Volunteers and individuals
Areas of collaboration
- Programme funding
- Resource mobilization
- Organizational capacity development
- Training and technical assistance
- Research and knowledge development
- Referral networks
- Advocacy and awareness
- Community programme development
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Professional and volunteer support
Looking ahead
Looking ahead
Mother to Mother is committed to building a strong, sustainable, and locally rooted organization that can respond to the needs of women, girls, children, families, and communities affected by violence and inequality.
We aim to expand access to support, strengthen local systems, develop sustainable programmes, build professional partnerships, and contribute to long-term social change.
Our ambition is not simply to respond to violence.
We want to help create communities where violence is prevented, survivors are supported, women are empowered, and families can thrive.