Breaking stigma is essential to expanding access to health care — and that’s exactly what our Futuremaker, Taonga Banda, is doing in Lusaka, Zambia.
With support from the Global Fund, Taonga founded Pink Girls, a community-led program that empowers and educates adolescent girls and young women living with HIV/AIDS. In Zambia, adolescent girls and young women represent a disproportionate share of new HIV infections, making stigma reduction, education, and youth-centered health services critical to ending the epidemic.
Born HIV-positive herself, Taonga...
Arielle Witter
Every child deserves a safe place to grow, learn, and simply be a child — a belief that drives Nokuthula Heath’s work at Zoë-Life in Durban, South Africa.
Through Zoë-Life’s community-led health model, Nokuthula supports children living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) while also addressing childhood trauma. By combining health care, psychosocial support, and education, Zoë-Life helps children and families navigate complex health challenges with dignity and care.
Founded in Durban, Zoë-Life is a powerful example of how local leadership can...
Books are a great way to learn more about cultures, identities, and much more. That’s why we want to help you add a few more to your summer reading list.
For Africa Day this year, we asked our ONE Champions and staff about what books resonated with them when it came to resilience, innovation, leadership, and African identity. Their recommendations did not disappoint — here are 7 books to read by African authors to learn more about African identity, culture,...
Vaccine are one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but their distribution is not equal.
In Africa, 98.9% of the continent’s vaccine supply is produced outside of the continent. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this weakness: During the COVID-19 pandemic, this became a big issue as rich countries monopolized vaccines. Wealthy nations monopolized doses, African countries were left waiting, and vulnerable.
In 2021, the African Union and Africa CDC set a bold goal to prevent this from happening again. They set out to produce...
Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest achievements; they save six lives every minute! Thanks to vaccines many diseases are now preventable today.
Here is a closer look.
1. Smallpox
At one point in history, smallpox was “one of the most devastating diseases to humanity.” With the first cases dating as early as 1350 BCE, the disease caused millions of deaths.
But in 1796, Edward Jenner created the smallpox vaccine — the first successful vaccine to be developed. Today, thanks to the power of...
Investments in international aid do a lot of good – from protecting people in vulnerable situations to fostering economic growth. But recent cuts to international aid, including the US pause to almost all international aid for 90 days, the UK’s recent cuts to international aid, and others, hurt millions of people globally. As is all too often the case when crisis strikes, women and girls will face the harshest consequences.
Dr. Stellah Bosire, the Executive Director and Founder of...
You’ve likely heard the phrase “foreign aid” a lot in the past few days, and for good reason. Several countries have announced cuts in their aid budgets this year.
To understand the implications of these cuts, which are part of a broader trend in cuts to development spending, it’s important to understand what foreign aid really is.
Keep reading to find out more.
What is foreign aid?
Foreign aid, international aid, ODA, or “global aid," refers to the transfer of resources and money...
In 2005, Nelson Mandela delivered a speech in the center of London and called on a new generation to be great. He had three clear demands – to make trade fair, cancel unpayable debt, and increase and improve the quality of aid. He called on all of us to act for justice. His call inspired millions of people to become active citizens, who in turn pushed their governments to deliver bold policies that have had a lasting impact for hundreds...
Africa is a continent of immense natural wealth and remarkable cultural diversity. It is also home to the world’s youngest population. Despite this extraordinary potential, Africa faces a convergence of global crises, particularly environmental ones, as illustrated by the impact of fast fashion. Yet Africa is far from being defeated by these obstacles. With its dynamic youth and abundant potential, the continent is turning challenges into opportunities, positioning itself as a key player in responsible fashion. By blending visionary...
The holiday season is here, and that means it’s time to start thinking about gifts. In that spirit, we want to shed some light on some amazing African-made products that make a great holiday (or anytime of the year!) gift.
Here are 7 African-made gifts to add to your holiday shopping list ASAP.
Jewelry or Home Goods from Ashepa
Ashepa was founded in 2017 by Kenyan-born Chetna. Her passion for “the wealth of craftsmanship native to the country I love,” is what...