With over 1.4 billion people, the African continent’s story wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the role non-governmental organizations have played in various fields. We can’t deny the fact that the continent is still at a stage, where the contributions of NGOs are needed to create better opportunities. Annually, billions of dollars are invested on the continent through various philanthropic initiatives and its impact can be attributed to the dedication of organizations who have been working on the continent for centuries.
The list of 10 Leading NGOs Shaping Africa’s Future is part of Avance Media’s effort in honouring organizations whose collective efforts greatly contribute to the development of the continent through key sectors such as education, health, climate change, agriculture and economic empowerment.
On criteria for selection, the team looked at the works of these organizations for the past 5 years, their presence in 2 or more African countries, their working partnership with other NGOs based on the availability of annual or Impact reports.
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As part of the 2022 Avance Media honours, listed NGOs have been presented as nominees for the 2022 NGO of the Year Award. This will be announced and presented after public votes which would be announced during the outdooring of the honourees.
Voting for the 2022 NGO of the Year will be done via www.avancemedia.org/vote and closes on 20th March 2022.
More information about the list is published on www.avancemedia.org/leadingngos
Below are the 10 Leading NGOs Shaping Africa Future by Avance Media
1. Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa – https://agra.org/ – founded 2006
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is an organisation that seeks to transform African agriculture from a subsistence model to strong businesses that improve the livelihoods of the continent’s farming households.
AGRA is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, from where a team of African scientists, economists and business leaders supports its country operations and African governments. The institution also has offices in 11 African countries, under the management of country leads, who oversee the deployment of the organisation’s national strategy.
2. Merck Foundation – www.merck-foundation.com – founded 2012
The Merck Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through Science and Technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions, building healthcare, scientific research & media capacity and empowering people in STEM* with a special focus on women and youth in under-served communities.
3. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – www.gatesfoundation.org – founded 2000
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. It was launched in 2000 and is reported as of 2020 to be the second-largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $49.8 billion in assets. With the help of Gates-funded vaccination drives, deaths from measles in Africa have dropped by 90 percent since 2000. The foundation has donated billions of dollars to help sufferers of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, protecting millions of children from death at the hands of preventable diseases.
4. Mastercard Foundation – www.mastercardfdn.org – founded 2006
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Through its Young Africa Works strategy, the foundation has an ambitious goal that by 2030, they would have enabled 30 million young people in Africa especially young women, to secure employment they see as dignified and fulfilling.
5. Tony Elumelu Foundation – www.tonyelumelufoundation.org – founded 2010
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is an African non-profit organization founded in 2010 by Tony O. Elumelu. The foundation has so far empowered 7,520 African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries. In 2015, TEF consolidated its various programmes and Initiatives and made investing in Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders a priority. The future of the Tony Elumelu Foundation centres on the provision of structured, robust, and multifaceted support to entrepreneurs around Africa through the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme.
6. Delta Philanthropies – www.deltaphilanthropies.org – founded 2017
Delta Philanthropies is a charity organisation, founded by the Masiyiwa Family. Its projects are co-created, designed and implemented through Delta Philanthropies Trust and the Higherlife Foundation, both registered charitable organisations with operations in Zimbabwe. The foundation invests in projects in four critical areas for human capital development: Education; Health; Rural Transformation and Sustainable Livelihoods; and Disaster Relief and Preparedness with a focus on communities, women and children.
7. Global Citizen – www.globalcitizen.org – founded 2008
Global Citizen, also known as the Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty. The NGO was founded to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to support the cause. Global Citizen’s vision is a world without extreme poverty by 2030. To achieve this, the organization works with people to make a difference in the present and focuses on improving the future by changing the systems and policies that keep people in poverty, by utilizing education, communications, advocacy, campaigning, and the media.
8. Amref Health Africa – www.amref.org – founded 1957
The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) is a non-governmental organization founded and based in Africa with 60 years of experience in health development. Today, it is one of the continent’s leading research organizations. It implements projects through country programs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Southern Sudan and South Africa; while training and consulting support are provided to 30 more countries. AMREF’s mission is to ensure that every African can enjoy the right to good health by helping to create vibrant networks of informed communities that work with empowered care providers in strong health systems.
9. Junior Achievement Africa – www.ja-africa.org – founded 1919
Junior Achievement Africa is one of Africa’s largest organizations working on youth economic empowerment. JA Africa is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs. JA’s mission is to prepare youth for the future of jobs. Through the delivery of hands-on, blended learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, we empower young people to grow their entrepreneurial ideas, hone their work skills, manage their earnings and secure better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. With more than 100 member countries, the JA Worldwide network is powered by over 470,000 volunteers and mentors, who serve more than 10 million young people around the world each year.
10. OXFAM – www.oxfam.org – founded 1942
Oxfam is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. Across regions, from the local to the global, we work with people to bring change that lasts. Oxfam’s work is grounded in the commitment to the universality of human rights. In 1995 a group of independent non-governmental organizations formed Oxfam International to share knowledge and resources and combine their efforts in the fight against poverty and injustice.
