MFDI
Our Story
Beginnings in Zimbabwe (1989–2004)
Media For Development International was founded in 1989 as a U.S.-registered nonprofit with a vision: to use locally produced media as a tool for education, empowerment, and social change. Over the next 14 years, MFDI worked with local artists and institutions to create groundbreaking films and radio that tackled real issues—health, gender, education—through engaging, culturally rooted storytelling.
These years saw the production of four acclaimed feature films - Neria, Everyone’s Child, More Time, and Yellow Card - which became some of the best-known African films of the 1990s and early 2000s. Dubbed into multiple languages and distributed across the continent, these films blended emotional storytelling with urgent social themes, sparking conversations in homes, classrooms, and communities across the continent.
The Tanzania Years (2005–2019)
In 2005, MFDI relocated to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - deepening its commitment to long-term, in-country collaboration.
​
During this period, the organization expanded its reach and refined its model of Entertainment-Education, continuing to produce feature films, long-running radio dramas, and media campaigns.
MFDI became a hub for training, mentoring, and building local capacity—working with young filmmakers, health experts, educators, and government agencies to co-create impactful, evidence-based media.
Major achievements during this time included:
-
The production of Wahapahapa and Kumekucha, two regionally renowned radio dramas that ran for over 200 episodes and reached millions of listeners across East Africa with stories addressing HIV/AIDS, agriculture, gender, and youth empowerment.
-
The launch of Siri ya Mtungi, a Swahili-language television drama that tackled HIV prevention, family planning, and reproductive health through a compelling, character-driven narrative.
-
The production of seven feature-length dramatic films, three of which—Bahasha, Fatuma, and Tunu—were acquired for global streaming on Netflix, bringing authentic East African stories to an international audience.
-
Multiple awards and festival selections, with MFDI films showcased at prestigious international film festivals, elevating Tanzanian cinema on the global stage.
-
Numerous multimedia campaigns in partnership with USAID, Johns Hopkins University, and other development partners—reaching both rural and urban audiences via radio, television, community events, and mobile platforms.
United States (2019–Present)
In 2019, MFDI set up its operations in the United States. The organization is now headquartered in Bellingham, Washington - strategically positioned to support global partnerships, fundraise effectively, and continue co-producing media with impact.
​
In 2022, MFDI launched Belonging - a multimedia initiative aimed at bringing greater public focus to solving America’s homelessness crisis. As MFDI’s first major U.S.-based project, Belonging uses storytelling to humanize the issue, challenge stigma, and inspire collaborative solutions.