Invisible Children’s efforts are two-pronged. When the LRA fled Uganda, Invisible Children developed several education and rehabilitation programs to aid the tens of thousands of displaced people left in the aftermath. Our programs involve school construction, scholarships, and micro-economic initiatives. The five Uganda programs directly support more than 11,000 people.

Now the LRA operates in the remote communities of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. To protect people in these areas, Invisible Children has erected radio towers to allow villages to communicate and is deploying search and rescue teams to aid child soldiers who have surrendered. In September 2011 Invisible Children  launched the online LRA Crisis Tracker that displays in real-time the attacks perpetrated by the LRA, exposing them to community-run protection organizations and people around the world seeking to end the LRA terror.

A 27 year civil war left a generation without education, unable to learn to read and write. Education is the driving force behind any strong economy and a key factor in social and economic growth and well-being. RISE works with the Angolan Ministry of Education to help jump start their efforts in rebuilding the education system, building schools in remote and nearly inaccessible villages, bringing the opportunity to receive an education to thousands of children who would not otherwise have the chance. Since 2003, we have

• Funded and built 135 schools in rural Angola
• Provided the opportunity for 60,000 students to go to school
• Facilitated workshops for over 1,000 teachers and leaders
• Trained 1,550 teachers and leaders in the It Takes Courage! Youth Curriculum

RISE believes that people working together to build relational bridges can transform lives and whole communities in profound ways. We partner with schools, churches, businesses, organizations and individuals to make a difference.

When its doors opened in 1979, the Legal Resources Center (LRC) challenged the most oppressive aspects of apartheid — forced removals, detentions, and the pass laws — through the South African courts. These early cases had a profound impact upon the lives of hundreds of thousands of South Africans.

As apartheid ended, LRC lawyers played integral roles in drafting South Africa’s new constitution. Nelson Mandela appointed Arthur Chaskalson, LRC’s co-founder, to serve as the first president of South Africa’s Constitutional Court.

Today, LRC’s 75 staff members confront the challenges left by the legacies of apartheid — inequality, poverty, and disease. Our initiatives include:

• Combating HIV/AIDS — including the court ruling blocking ads that claim vitamins can reverse the disease, and work to fast-track regulations to ensure that AIDS orphans receive appropriate care.
• Protecting the rights of refugees in South Africa — including representing Zimbabwean refugees who were arrested during a midnight raid of the Central Methodist Church by the Johannesburg police.
• Recovering land taken unfairly from communities during apartheid.
• Representing families before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission— including LRC counsel who argued that the police involved in Steve Biko’s murder tried to use the Truth Commission without revealing any personal responsibility for Biko’s death, persuading the Commission to withhold amnesty in two separate applications.
• Protecting the environmental rights of marginalized communities.

In Kiswahili, kabissa  means “completely” – an apt name for a central online connection open to all. By connecting with others who care about Africa, members can:

• Report on what’s happening right now by posting blogs.
• Discover who’s doing what in and for Africa by using the search functions.
• Follow and support each other by using an array of online features.

Kabissa members are working on all levels: community, national and global. Activities range from working to reduce HIV/AIDS, promoting sustainable development, championing women’s rights and fostering the democratic process through technology and communication.

“I have been involved in Kabissa as a member since 2003. I am continually excited and inspired by the work Kabissa is doing for the African nonprofit sector at the community and national levels. It is inspiring to read about groups such as the Maasai Women Development Organization who promote economic, political and social equality of Maasai women. Without Kabissa, it would have been difficult to know about these and countless others.”    Neema Mgana, Kabissa Board of Directors

“When spiderwebs unite, they can tie up a lion”
– Ethiopian Proverb

The Firelight Foundation believes children grow best in families and that the most effective strategy for addressing the needs of children made vulnerable or orphaned by HIV/AIDS and poverty is to strengthen the capacity of families and communities to provide for their care. To do this, we support grassroots organizations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa that help households and communities provide food, clothing, and shelter, education and comfort to children in need.  The Foundation supports programs that are organized by local leaders, encourage communities to create appropriate solutions to problems, and strengthen the community’s capacity to address its own needs. In 2008, we helped community organizations throughout the continent reach almost 100,000 children and 50,000 caregivers.

The Leon H. Sullivan Summits, held every two years, bring together political and business leaders, civil society, multinational leaders, academics, and heads of state to focus attention and resources on Africa’s development. As part of this process, the Foundation has two signature projects in the communities where summits are held, focusing on malaria and school revitalization.

• Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of malaria are the basic elements of malaria control.  Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) are one form of personal protection that has been shown to reduce the severity of the disease and mortality. Our  mosquito netting project was created to prevent and ultimately eradicate malaria in rural villages throughout Africa. We have distributed more than 1,000 insecticide-treated nets to villages in the Usa River area of Tanzania. We intend to make Usa River the first Sullivan Malaria Free Zone and will expand the project to other countries.
• We are helping to revitalize the Manyatta Primary school in the Usa River region by providing educational supplies, such as books and desks, as well as infrastructure such as latrines and paved roads in the town of Manyatta.

Health Alliance International (HAI) works in partnership with ministries of health to strengthen health systems, especially in post-conflict settings. Our mission is to support policies that foster social and economic equity for all, with a focus on public-sector health systems and a progressive realization of the right to health.

We help governments build their primary care systems, including maternal and child care and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment projects. Rather than setting up our own clinics and programs as a short-term fix, we focus on 1) working to improve public sector infrastructure, capacity and quality of health care services, and 2) advocating for policies and practices that support health system strengthening.

In Africa we have programs in Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and Sudan. We have been working with the government of Mozambique since 1987, helping to build the country’s health system, by providing material support, technical advice, training, mentoring, and assistance with research, monitoring and evaluation. As a result, the number of HIV-positive  Mozambicans on antiretroviral therapy has increased from just 4,000 in 2004 to 80,000 today.

The Green Belt Movement was founded in 1977 by Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and the first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004). What began as a grassroots tree-planting program to address the challenges of deforestation, soil erosion, and a lack of water is now a vehicle for empowering women and their families. The act of planting a tree is helping women throughout Africa become stewards of the natural environment. In so doing, they are  also becoming powerful champions for sustainable management of resources such as water, equitable economic development, good political governance, and ultimately…peace.

To date, more than 45 million trees have been planted across Kenya to protect critical watersheds, restore thousands of acres of indigenous forests, and empower thousands of women and their families. These women and their families are now living healthier and more productive lives and are standing up for their rights and those of their communities.

A healthy natural world is at the heart of an equitable and peaceful society. And protecting the environment is something every individual can take part in.

• Mobilize communities, grassroots groups, and local leaders to improve maternal and reproductive health care and fight for the services they need
• Address the social and cultural barriers that prevent women and young people from using life-saving services
• Educate and empower young people to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy, infection, and sexual violence
• Advocate for the political will and financial investment to ensure that every woman gets the health care she needs during pregnancy and childbirth
• Help countries deliver high-quality, evidence-based, sustainable maternal and reproductive health services that are sensitive to local cultures and responsive to community needs

As testament to the impact of our work, FCI was the 2008 recipient of the United Nations Population Award.