About Meridian Aid
Every story is checked in person before you see it.
Meridian Aid connects people and communities in East Africa who face hard times with supporters who want to help. Each story is a real person, family or community with a specific, costed need, such as a term of school fees, a hospital bill or repairs after a flood.
Why give through Meridian Aid
Online appeals are easy to fake. Ours are not taken on trust: before a story goes live, local partners go and see the need for themselves.
On a visit, each partner
- Contacts the applicant and their reference
- Visits the home, school or clinic where it is safe to
- Confirms the person's identity
- Checks every document, such as a fee letter or hospital estimate
- Confirms each cost with whoever will be paid
A staff member reads both reports before anything is published.
Two partners, two organisations
Every story is checked by two approved local partners who work for different organisations. One partner alone can never put a story online.
Nobody earns more for saying yes
Partners are paid the same whatever they find, and a Meridian Aid staff member reads both reports before approving or declining.
Money goes to the school, not the pocket
Your gift is paid to the school, hospital or supplier named in the budget. No cash is handed to individuals.
No surprises when you pay
You see the total before you pay. An optional tip for Meridian Aid is shown on its own line, and you choose it.
See the checks yourself
Each story has a "View verification data" button showing who checked it, when, and what they confirmed.
Dignity is protected
Full names, phone numbers, addresses and documents are never published. People choose what is shown about them.
Every decision is on record
Each staff decision is logged with who made it and when, and anyone can report a concern about a story.
How it works
From the first message to the money arriving, in the order it happens.
- 1
A need is shared
The person or a relative registers with an identity document and sends the story, recent photos, an itemised budget and a document that proves the need.
- 2
Two partners visit
Two local partners from different organisations each contact the applicant and their reference, visit where it is safe and check every document and cost.
- 3
Staff decide
A Meridian Aid staff member reviews both reports and approves or declines.
- 4
The story goes live
Only what the applicant agreed to show is published, with the goal, the budget lines and the amount raised so far.
- 5
Paid where it is needed
Funds go to the school, hospital or supplier in the budget, and the story shows when it is fully funded.
Where we work
Meridian Aid is being built for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and opens one country at a time, once local partners are in place.
Open now:KenyaUganda
How we operate
Card payments are handled by Stripe and never reach Meridian Aid. Payment processing, tax treatment and delivery of funds follow the published terms and policies.
Our team
The people who review stories, work with local partners and answer your messages.
Team profiles are coming soon. Until then, reach us through the contact form.
Ready to help someone you can trust is real?
Choose a checked story, or give to Meridian Aid to fund the checks themselves.