This month, I chatted with Angelina Namiba, co-founder of the 4M Network of Mentor Mothers CIC. Based in Dalston, London, 4M is a grassroots, peer-led organisation providing critical perinatal mentoring and personal development support for women living with HIV. 4M stands for “My health, My choice, My child, My life” – a powerful reminder that the women they support are at the very heart of everything they do. 

Our conversation focused on 4M’s vital work as part of the National Digital Inclusion Network. As society shifts rapidly online, those without access to technology are increasingly left behind. For the women 4M supports, this divide can be devastating, impacting everything from booking medical appointments to managing everyday life. 

“We got involved in the National Digital Inclusion Network because we saw how much digital exclusion was affecting the women we support, especially those living with HIV. So accessing healthcare, benefits, information, even peer support is now so much more dependent on being online.” 

Angelina explained that 4M provides tailored, trust-based support, giving out devices and data provided by Good Things Foundation alongside digital skills training. Because HIV remains a highly stigmatised condition, building a safe, confidential space is essential. 4M achieves this through a completely peer-led model, meaning the women guiding the sessions have walked in the exact same shoes as those they are helping. 

The impact of this work goes far beyond learning how to use a laptop. Digital inclusion provides a lifeline to mental health support and community. Angelina highlighted their monthly virtual sessions co-created with clinical psychologists. For women who might otherwise wait months for mental health care, this two-hour online space offers immediate, vital support. However, joining a two-hour video call requires a massive amount of data, which many of these women simply cannot afford on low or no incomes. 

By removing the barrier of data poverty, 4M allows these women to connect, heal, and look toward the future. It creates a powerful ripple effect, enabling them to support their families, access education, and gain independence. 

“It unlocks lots just by being able to access one thing. Then you realise actually with this device and with this data I can do A, B, C, and D, and that also just really builds their confidence… it’s having lots of positive effects and impacts.” 

As our conversation wound down, I was struck by how beautifully 4M balances direct human empathy with practical digital support. By meeting women exactly where they are, 4M is ensuring that individual circumstances do not dictate who gets left behind in our increasingly digital world. 

This blog was written by Madeleine Ruse, Communications Officer at Good Things Foundation, using materials from an interview with Angelina Namiba.