Global Reach: Africa

EMpower in Ghana

Ghana is a youthful country: young people make up about 1/3 of the population. And they face steep competition for jobs. Creating and improving livelihoods for young people is at the centre of our engagement in the country.

Many young Ghanaians—mainly young women—journey from the poorer, rural northern regions to Kumasi and Greater Accra in search of better opportunities. We support organisations who operate along this migration route. They are enhancing young people’s vocational skills, financial literacy, and business management knowledge so that they can find and take on good jobs and work.

Our grantee partners often enhance the ability of young people to take on non-traditional livelihoods and create an enabling business environment for young entrepreneurs—in which their voices are heard and from which their entire community benefits. In our Circle portfolio, our partners work with young LGBTQI+ people as they deal with the impact of rising homophobic violence and marginalisation.

Our partners in Ghana:

Net-Organisation for Youth Empowerment and Development (NOYED-Ghana)

Tamale | Funded Since: 2016

NOYED-Ghana focuses on improving women’s and children’s access to education and health services through community-led programmes and campaigns, enabling them to build their skills and improve their quality of life.

http://www.noyedghana.org/

Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG)

Accra | Funded Since: 2012

NEWIG focuses on advancing women’s rights and raising their status in the social, political, and economic life of the country.

https://www.facebook.com/NEWIGGH/

NiV Limited

Tamale | Funded Since: 2023

NiV aims to develop innovative social enterprise models and vibrant youth business hubs, and advocates for progressive social enterprise policies and laws that support social impact.

NORSAAC

Tamale | Funded Since: 2012

Norsaac works with networks of women, young people, children, and excluded groups to strengthen their agency and realise their rights.

https://www.norsaac.org/

Songtaba - Women’s Rights Coalition

Tamale | Funded Since: 2015

Songtaba works with gender-minded human rights organisations and individuals to advocate for gender equality in the region.

https://www.songtaba.org/

Urban Agriculture Network

Tamale | Funded Since: 2015

Urbanet is a network of small-scale farmer organisations that promotes sustainable agronomic practices as a means to ensuring food security, sustainable and productive livelihoods, and a healthy environment.

https://www.urbanetgh.org/

EMpower in Nigeria

As the most populous country and largest economy in Africa, Nigeria is a critical space for investing in youth empowerment. Early and child marriage and high levels of unemployment among young people are persistent challenges.

EMpower supports young people from underserved communities, especially girls, young women, and young LGBTQI+ persons to advance their safety, bodily autonomy, and ability to organise for their rights, to provide them with opportunities and resources to build successful livelihoods, and to foster psychological and physical well-being. Several of our partners address homophobia and gender-based violence and create safe spaces.

Our grantee partners are dedicated to building shared systems of collective learning and action around gender equality. They support this goal by leading programmes that integrate and address the needs of all Nigerians, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and sex characteristics.

Our partners in Nigeria:

Center for Healthcare Development and Youth Empowerment (Intersex Nigeria)

Lagos | Funded Since: 2023

Intersex Nigeria promotes the human rights, self-determination, and bodily autonomy of intersex people.

https://intersexnigeria.org/

HACEY Health Initiative

Surulere, Lagos | Funded Since: 2016

HACEY is committed to creating a healthy and sustainable society for all young Nigerians, especially women and girls.

https://hacey.org

Improved Sexual Health & Rights Advocacy Initiative

Lagos | Funded Since: 2023

Improved Sexual Health & Rights Advocacy Initiative aims to create an equitable, safe, and resilient society that celebrates sexual and gender diversity and upholds the rights of all.

Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI)

Lagos | Funded Since: 2023

Vision Spring Initiatives is a community of strong, empowered women who believe in the power of collective action to create positive change.

https://vsinigeria.org/

EMpower in South Africa

South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, and strong regional and race-based disparities continue to exist in the country decades after the end of apartheid.

EMpower's longstanding work in South Africa focuses on building resilience among young people and advancing their mental health. With our partners, we work to strengthen the ability of young people to achieve positive life outcomes despite significant stress, challenges, and adversity.

Our emphasis is on building and strengthening communities of care where young people live, work, and play. To this end, our grantee partners employ a variety of approaches that provide safe spaces, caring mentors, and therapeutic interventions.

Additionally, we support our grantee partners in building relationships with national and international donors to strengthen their long-term capacity and longevity and to raise awareness of the importance of adolescent mental health. We also support efforts to increase and broaden the range of youth-friendly mental health services that are available.

Our partners in South Africa:

Adonis Musati Project (AMP)

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2021

Adonis Musati Project seeks to empower marginalised refugees and migrants by fostering sustainable support networks and encouraging personal development that achieves lasting change.

https://www.adonismusatiproject.org/

Aspire2Gro

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2022

Aspire2Gro provides young South Africans with a pathway to economic self-sustainability, enabling them to realise their inherent potential.

https://www.aspireyouth.co.za/

BRAVE (Rock Girls)

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2017

BRAVE inspires and empowers girl leaders, supporting girl-led initiatives and building a network of women and girl leaders across the African continent.

https://brave-girl.org/

dlalanathi

Pietermaritzburg | Funded Since: 2022

Dlalanathi creates unique, playful, healing processes for children, youth, families, and community stakeholders to restore relationships for positive action.

https://www.dlalanathi.org.za/

Earthchild Project

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2020

Earthchild Project aims to nurture and develop a new generation of conscious, confident, and responsible children, offering complimentary education to under-resourced schools with a focus on the environment, health, and self-development and leadership.

https://earthchildproject.org/

Fight With Insight

Johannesburg | Funded Since: 2021

Fight with Insight is a boxing project that aims to create a safe society for young people, where their rights are fully realised.

http://www.fightwithinsight.co.za

Ikamva Labantwana Bethu

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2022

Ikamva Labantwana Bethu aims to close the youth unemployment gap, providing academic support and skills development to young people in local settlements and townships.

https://ikamvalabantwana.org/

Inside Out

Mitchell's Plain | Funded Since: 2023

Inside Out aims to build a next generation of leaders who are self-confident, understand the world around them, and know the potential they have to change their own narrative.

https://www.insideout.co.za

Khululeka Grief Support

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2019

Khululeka builds the resilience of children, adolescents, and the adults who care for them by equipping them with tools to process their experiences of loss and death, creating responsive and compassionate environments that enable healing.

https://www.khululeka.org/

Lefika La Phodiso

Johannesburg | Funded Since: 2022

Lefika La Phodiso builds capacity for empathy by training groups of community art counsellors dedicated to psycho-social transformation.

https://lefikalaphodiso.co.za/

Mamelani Projects

Pinelands, Cape Town | Funded Since: 2012

Mamelani builds resilience and well-being, transforms communities, and advocates for systemic change in partnership with youth in transition, grassroots leaders, communities, and organisations.

https://mamelani.org.za/

Phola

Johannesburg | Funded Since: 2023

Phola aims to provide culturally appropriate psychosocial and mental health services to individuals affected by trauma, transforming their lives and bringing about positive social change in communities.

http://www.phola.org/

Pride Shelter Trust

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2022

The Pride Shelter promotes dignity, respect, and a sense of personal empowerment among members of the LGBTQI+ community, providing short-term safe accommodation to individuals who have been evicted from their homes or ostracised from their communities.

https://www.pridesheltertrust.org.za/

Radio Workshop

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2020

Radio Workshop believes in the power of radio, podcasts, and audio storytelling, and uses these mediums to create opportunities for youth dialogue, leadership, and citizenship.

https://childrensradiofoundation.org/

School of Hard Knocks (SOHK)

Woodstock, Cape Town | Funded Since: 2021

The School of Hard Knocks is dedicated to providing mental health interventions through sport, with the intention of bringing about meaningful social change.

https://www.schoolofhardknocks.co.za/

South African Federation for Mental Health

Johannesburg | Funded Since: 2023

SAFMH works with the community to achieve the highest possible level of mental health for all.

https://www.safmh.org/

The Mudita Foundation

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2019

The Mudita Foundation brings quality mental healthcare and psycho-educational support into schools so that children can reach their fullest potential.

https://themuditafoundation.org.za/

The Sozo Foundation Trust

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2015

The Sozo Foundation Trust seeks to equip and empower young people with tools, skills, and knowledge for holistic self-development.

https://thesozofoundation.org.za/

United Through Sport

Port Elizabeth | Funded Since: 2012

United Through Sport works with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds using the power of sport to improve education, raise health awareness, and build life skills.

https://www.unitedthroughsport.org/south-africa-english

Usapho Foundation

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2022

Usapho aims to strengthen families, providing gender-based violence prevention programmes, counselling, and guidance on positive parenting for young people.

https://www.usapho.org.za

Waves for Change (W4C)

Cape Town | Funded Since: 2015

Waves for Change uses surfing to engage the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable young people, addressing trauma, helping them build resilience, and supporting them in their educational and professional aspirations.

https://waves-for-change.org

Connect with EMpower

Stay up-to-date on the latest EMpower news, highlights from our grantee partners, upcoming events, and more.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Make a Difference with EMpower

Our Board Directors and the Leadership Council underwrite all of our Management, General and Fundraising expenses, so 100% of your donation goes directly to empowering marginalised young people.

Make a Donation

See more ways to make a difference

×