Impact Happens When People Lead
LEADERSHIP
&
INNOVATION
We build leaders across governments, NGOs and private sector to strengthen and solve complex challenges within systems.
We incubate and support community-driven initiatives that improve livelihoods and services.
What We do
SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ACCELERATING
SYSTEMS
CHANGE
We mobilise funding and partnerships for focused projects that catalyse priority needs within government health systems.
LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION
The NJIA Programme, launched in 2015, was a unique collaboration between the Government of Tanzania, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, implementing partners, and Pepal. It brought together actors across the health system with a shared ambition: to expand access to cervical cancer services through leadership and innovation.
At its core, NJIA focused on strengthening the leadership capabilities of individuals working within the system. By equipping leaders with the skills, mindset, and support to drive change, the programme enabled the development of practical, sustainable innovations that addressed real barriers to screening and treatment.
Following strong success in Tanzania, NJIA expanded to Uganda and India, building an international network of health system leaders committed to improving access to cervical cancer care. This cross-country collaboration further strengthened the exchange of ideas and solutions across diverse contexts.
Today, NJIA stands as a powerful example of how leadership-driven innovation can strengthen health systems and improve outcomes for women—demonstrating that lasting impact is achieved not just through programmes, but through the people who lead them.
47,505
People Reached
7,422
WOMEN SCREENED
4,706
GIRLS VACCINATED
222
WOMEN TREATED
34,254
COMMUNITY MEMBERS EDUCATED
125,000
YOUTH REACHED
28,000
HOURS INVESTED
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Sister Victoria, Head District Nursing Officer in Muleba, Kagera Region, demonstrates how social entrepreneurship can address persistent health system constraints while delivering measurable results. Following completion of Pepal’s NJIA leadership programme, she led the development of a women-led poultry enterprise designed to generate sustainable, locally controlled funding for priority health interventions. With an initial investment of $5,000, the enterprise reached profitability within eight months, providing a reliable revenue stream in a context characterised by inconsistent outreach funding, fragmented delivery structures, and short project cycles.
$5K
Initial Investment from PEPAL
Months to become self-sustaining
8
18,501
Average monthly profit reinvested locally
$380
Girls vaccinated against HPV
We wanted to make sure the project did not stop. So we built something that could keep going on its own.
The proven effectiveness of this approach has catalysed additional international investment to support scale and replication. Building on its success, the model has since expanded to deliver broader social outcomes. Most recently, proceeds have supported the provision of hygiene essentials and sanitary products to over 150 children with special needs at Kaigara Primary School, contributing to improved wellbeing and more inclusive access to education.
This initiative illustrates the potential of leadership-enabled, market-based solutions to deliver sustained health impact, while generating wider social and economic value at the community level.
ACCELERATING SYSTEMS CHANGE
Kahawa Foundation was established as a market-based financing mechanism to address critical gaps in the cervical cancer ecosystem in Kagera Region. The model leverages locally sourced coffee beans, which are processed and sold in the United States, with profits reinvested directly into priority health interventions. By aligning with regional government needs and targeting system-level gaps, the Foundation provides a flexible and sustainable source of funding to support cervical cancer prevention, screening, and treatment efforts. This approach reduces reliance on short-term external funding while ensuring that resources are deployed where they are most needed.
THERMOCOAGULATOR ROTATIONAL TREATMENT
6 nurses trained and 4 additional facilities gained access to cervical cancer treatment services. As a result, over 200 women screened and treated on the same day.
SINGLE DOSE HPV VACCINE ROLL-OUT
223 girls vaccinated with the single-dose HPV vaccine across four major primary and secondary schools in Bukoba, Kagera