In 2001, Mgbala Agwa Youth Forum (MAYF) was formed as a grassroots non-profit organisation based in Lagos and the Mgbala Agwa, a rural farming village in the Oguta Local Government of Imo State in Nigeria. Our aim is to create awareness and educate people on HIV/AIDS and other Sexual Transmitted Infections, protect the environment, youth empowerment, and reduce poverty for all in the community including these orphans below.

Our Humble Beginnings

Mgbala Agwa village local and current Lagos resident, Mr. Nduka Ozor, came up with the idea of organising a youth-run community-based organisation to explain the possible causes of unexplainable deaths in the south-east Nigerian village of Mgbala Agwa. At that time, the death rate was extremely high. Mr. Ozor suspected that HIV/AIDS and Sexual Transmitted Disease’s were probably the major cause of these deaths. So, Mr. Ozor thought that the community, particularly the youths, should be educated about HIV/AIDS and he wanted to warn them of the dangers ahead if they continued to live their lifestyle. Because of all these tragedies within the community, Mgbala Agwa Youth Forum started up as a forum to discuss and create awareness of issues and to try and help build up the facilities in this rural village. As a result of Nduka’s and his teams’ efforts, Nigeria’s first Resource and Library Centre dedicated to HIV/AIDS and STD’s was created.

The founding members involved in the formation of MAYF were Anslem Onongbo, Elias, Kennedy Ogbonna, Walter Onyenweokwu, Cajethan Ahanotu, and Nduka Ozor.