The Global Journal, an international magazine, recently released a list of NGOs from around the globe that they believe encapsulates the words ‘innovation’, ‘impact’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘efficiency’. The top five NGOs in the list are The Wikimedia Foundation, Partners in Health, Oxfam, BRAC and International Rescue Committee. It is refreshing to see a number of African founded organizations on the list, it in most ways shows that we aren’t just recipients of acts of benevolence and relief, but that we are also involved in the solution towards the continent’s progress. Here’s the list of the African NGOs on the list:
#10 Ushadidi
Ushahidi is a Kenyan headquartered non-profit tech company that specializes in developing free and open source software for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping. The organization builds tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories. For more information visit www.ushahidi.com
#24 Apopo
APOPO is a Tanzanian headquartered social enterprise that researches, develops and disseminates detection rats technology for humanitarian purposes. APOPO was initiated in response to the global landmine problem. To find about more this amazing innovation visit http://www.apopo.org/
#45 ActionAid Internatonal
Headquartered in Johannesburg – the only large international development organization based in Africa – ActionAid International was established in 2003 with a renewed purpose of giving country programs a greater voice at the operational and strategic level. With projects in the areas of food rights, women’s rights, democratic governance, public education, disaster prevention and recovery, climate change and HIV/AIDS, ActionAid is present today in more than 40 countries and reaches over 25 million people. For more information visit http://www.actionaid.org/
#49 Forum for African Women Educationalists
FAWE is a pan-African Non-Governmental Organisation working in 32 African countries to empower girls and women through gender-responsive education. The organisation works hand-in-hand with communities, schools, civil society, Non-Governmental Organisations and ministries to achieve gender equity and equality in education through targeted programmes. For more information visit http://www.fawe.org/
#41 Tostan
Tostan's mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights. The organization works primarily in remote regions in providing provide holistic, participatory education to adults and adolescents who have not had access to formal schooling. Tostan means "breakthrough" in the West African language of Wolof. Since 1991, Tostan has brought its holistic 30-month education program to thousands of communities in ten African countries: Burkina Faso , Djibouti , The Gambia, Guinea , Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania , Senegal , Somalia , and Sudan
#60 One Acre Fund
One Acre Fund is an agriculture orgnisation that helps East African farmers grow their own way out of hunger. Launched in 2006, the organization provides a ‘market bundle’ of services – including seed and fertilizer, financing, education, and market facilitation – that enables farmers to double their income per planted acre in one year. For more information visit http://www.oneacrefund.org/
#81 African Medical and Research Foundation
AMREF is an internation African organisation headquartered in Nairobi , Kenya Kenya , Ethiopia , Uganda , Tanzania , Southern Sudan and South Africa
To view the full list please visit the Global Journal Website
