MWENGO is an acronym from the Kiswahili expression "Mwelekeo wa NGO which simply translates to direction of NGOs. MWENGO is a reflection and development centre for NGOs working in the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

The organisation was formally established at a regional meeting of NGOs in Harare Zimbabwe, and is in its current form a result of thorough consultations among NGOs in the region. The conclusion of these consultations affirmed the need for an NGO mechanism which would be primarily dedicated to the building to the building of NGO capacity through a creative mix of interventions and continuous stimulation of the sector.

Vision
MWENGO is inspired by the vision of a strong, vibrant society in which a culture of accountability is firmly entrenched and the rights of every citizen are respected and protected while in turn, citizens acknowledge their responsibilities and endeavour to fulfil these as expected.

Mission
To provide strategic leadership to empower/nurture a community of values by generating and mobilising African human and knowledge resources to support organisations fighting for social justice.

The Cotonou agreement:
The Cotonou agreement falls under the Civil Society and Advocacy (CSA) programme. It is premised on the principle that African NGOs need to become more informed about responsibilities to the broader social and political context in which they operate. African NGOs need to influence policy- making processes and to challenge institutional barriers to development. The CSA programme assists NGOs to define a constructive civic role and participate activiely in promoting more effective development approaches.

MWENGO has undertaken various activities under the Cotonou agreement. A workshop was held in Gaberone, Botswana in 2000 the first regional meeting on Cotonou after the signing of the trade agreement. Over 70 organisations from 14 countries from East and Southern Africa attended the meeting. A follow up workshop was held in Maputo in March 2003, where a plan of action was formulated. The main areas of action are research, communication and lobbying and advocacy. The plan of action is the guiding document being used by organisations within the region for their work around the Cotonou agreement. In June 2003, MWENGO in collaboration with Zimbabwe Women Ressource Centre and Network and One World Action convened a capacity building workshop on the Cotonou agreement. The report for this workshop is available. MWENGO has also written a critique on the Economic Partnership agreement.