The US foreign aid funding freeze is threatening the stability of community-based organizations and their vital work for children and young people worldwide.
From Sierra Leone to the streets of Nairobi, we support groundbreaking initiatives that help children and youth thrive. Our local partners in Africa are as diverse as the children and youth they serve. One thing unites them all: a deep, game-changing commitment to children and youth of the “last mile.”
In West Africa, current and past ethnic and political conflicts, as well as natural disasters and health epidemics, have enduring effects on local communities. Many refugee and displaced children and youth live in deep poverty and deal with trauma on a daily basis. Across the region, underprivileged communities of all sorts continue to fight for access to quality education and other social services.
These challenges are compounded for girls. Forced early marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, and gender-based violence persist and are often deeply rooted in traditional cultures and norms, particularly in East Africa. East Africa is also home to millions of impoverished rural children, and in East and southern Africa, many communities continue to grapple with the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS.
Despite these pressing challenges, social and economic transformations are underway in this dynamic and promising region. Enormous progress has been made in recent years, and our partners ensure that children and youth can participate as new opportunities emerge.
At GFC, we link philanthropic capital to the local heroes who create these opportunities in the heart of their communities. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, these outstanding organizations use holistic and integrated interventions to change children’s lives. Programs include comprehensive early childhood care and development, quality girls’ education and empowerment, safe spaces and transitional homes for children affected by trauma and abuse, and vocational, leadership, and life skills training for child laborers, trafficked youth, and other vulnerable populations.
With your help, children and youth in Africa can grow up to lead lives of dignity and independence, regardless of the challenges they face.
Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Zambia
Africa in numbers
11
countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
55
local partners who are serving girls, children living with disabilities or HIV, survivors of child trafficking, child marriage and gender-based violence, refugees, children living in post-conflict environments, unemployed youth, and other young people.
Empowering communities to lead their own development: A pathway to sustainable change in Africa
Global Fund for Children (GFC), with support from the TIDES Foundation and People’s Postcard Lottery, is implementing in a groundbreaking project in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Using GFC’s flexible funding model, community-based organizations are supported to decrease incidents of gender-based violence and improve educational access for girls in the region.
One partner in Sierra Leone mentioned how they couldn’t consistently operate their programs due to frequent power outages and how they wished they could buy a generator. The leader was so happy when I told her that they could with GFC’s flexible funding, although she almost didn’t believe me at first. She expressed that it was a groundbreaking moment, as this was the first time a donor had offered such flexibility to fill their operational gaps.
Amé Atsu David, Regional Co-Director for Africa, Global Fund for Children
What inspired me most to join the Adolescent Girls’ Summit is that the summit is the only place where I can share my thoughts, especially things that are affecting me as a young teenage girl. For me, it is my safe space, and I think issues that are bothering me could be the same for most teenage girls, and sharing things affecting me will give opportunity for organizations working for us to have clear insight on how our issues as teenage girls are to be handled.
Tenneh, 17, AGS participant, Sierra Leone
Your support drives real change
Innovative community-based organizations turn small amounts of money into, lasting impact. Your donation will support our partners working at the hearts of local communities to create a safer, more just future for children and young people.
