Maria Antoine

Co-Founder & Program Manager · Women's Empowerment Lead · Mushroom Innovation Pioneer

@mari_marie225

Her Journey

From DRC to Nakivale

Maria Antoine (also known as Mariam) is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda, she serves as Co-Founder and Program Manager for Women's Projects at Unidos.

Education: Completed Senior 6 (Biology and Chemistry) in Tanzania, demonstrating early dedication to science and learning.

Partnership: Together with founder Paulinho Muzaliwa, Maria has built Unidos from 4 people to a thriving organization impacting 5,000+ community members.

Maria Antoine
Women's Circle

Health, Dignity, Empowerment

The Research

Maria led survey work with 500 women across 13 villages to understand their needs:

93% Lack community support for women's health
97% Cannot access menstrual supplies
98% Want to join a women's discussion group

The Program (September 2024)

  • 16 educational sessions held across 3 villages
  • 38 participants in pilot program
  • Topics covered: Menstrual health, family planning, sexual health, SGBV prevention
  • Resources distributed: 43 reusable sanitary pads, 43 buckets, 43 bars of soap

Results After 4 Months:

  • 90% improved understanding of menstrual hygiene
  • Family planning use: 23% → 34%
  • 100% made friends and want to continue
  • 85% will educate young relatives
Food Innovation

Nakivale's First Mushroom Lab

Maria secured a competitive Re-Alliance grant to establish Nakivale's first mushroom spawn multiplication lab—converting agricultural waste into nutritious food and sustainable income.

Leadership & Innovation

Maria leads all aspects of the mushroom project:

  • Grant Writing: Successfully secured funding from Re-Alliance
  • Product Development: Developing packaging and commercialization strategy
  • Training: Teaching 152 women across 4 groups to cultivate oyster mushrooms
  • Quality Control: Ensuring food safety and product excellence
152 Women trained in mushroom cultivation
4,800 kg Mushrooms produced in 2024
5,000 kg Agricultural waste recycled monthly
Mushroom spawn multiplication lab
Integrated Sustainability

Trees to Soap: A Circular Model

Maria designed an ingenious program connecting environmental action with economic empowerment:

The Model

  1. Mobilize women to plant medical and food trees (climate action)
  2. Harvest tree leaves for organic soap production
  3. Train women in soap-making and business skills
  4. Sell products locally to generate sustainable income

Results

1,000 Women involved in tree planting
5,000 Trees planted (medical & food varieties)
700L Soap produced (300L sold)

Products: Bar soap and liquid soap sold in local Nakivale markets

Women making soap at Unidos
Professional Background

Certifications & Expertise

Certifications

  • Mushroom Spawn Multiplication - G2 Master Level Certified
  • Entrepreneurship Mentor - 2+ years at Promise Hub
  • Women's Health Educator - Trained facilitator

Ambassador Roles

  • SEEDS Global Ambassador - Regenerative financial ecosystem

Contact

Email: mariam@unidosprojects.com

Strategic Focus

Four Pillars of Impact

1. Women's Health Education

Building safe spaces for women to learn about menstrual health, family planning, and SGBV prevention.

2. Food Innovation

Leading mushroom cultivation to convert waste into nutritious food and sustainable income.

3. Environmental Action

Mobilizing women for tree planting to mitigate climate change and restore ecosystems.

4. Economic Empowerment

Training women in soap-making, business skills, and entrepreneurship for dignified livelihoods.

Looking Forward

2026 Expansion Plans

Health Education Expansion

  • Menstrual cup distribution and training
  • Healthy pregnancy and childbirth education
  • Breastfeeding techniques
  • Infant nutrition and care
  • Waterborne disease prevention
  • Malaria prevention
  • Stress reduction and mental health

Economic Programs (Requested by Participants)

  • Expanded soap production training
  • Mushroom cultivation courses
  • Permaculture program access
  • Cheese-making (exploring)
  • Sewing and reusable pad production (exploring)

Goal: Scale successful pilots to reach 500+ women across all 13 villages surveyed in 2024.

Unidos Leadership

Building Together

Together with founder Paulinho Muzaliwa, Maria has built Unidos into a model of refugee-led innovation:

Division of Leadership

Paulinho: REGESOIL business model, vermicomposting, permaculture training, biochar, overall vision

Maria: Women's empowerment, mushroom project, soap production, health education, day-to-day program coordination

Combined Impact

  • Grew from 4 people (2018) → 35 team members (2026)
  • Reached 5,000+ community members
  • Won Gene Dewey Award 2024 (joint achievement)
  • Created integrated model: soil health + food production + women's empowerment + economic opportunity

Their partnership demonstrates how complementary leadership creates exponential impact—combining agricultural innovation with social empowerment to rebuild community systems across the settlement.

Unidos team

Support Maria's Work

Help empower women in Nakivale with health education, food security, and economic opportunity.

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