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HIV and AIDS have taken their greatest human toll in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the latest United Nations statistics, even though just over 10 percent of the world’s population lives south of the Sahara, close to 90 percent of the world’s HIV-positive children live in the region. More than 12 million children in Africa have lost one or both parents to AIDS and many more are made vulnerable by HIV, AIDS and poverty.

Millions of affected children and families in Africa are assisted by small community-based organizations (CBOs) that work on a shoestring to assist vulnerable children.

Firelight funds CBOs that have a direct relationship with those they are serving and is one of a very few foundations that accepts unsolicited proposals from small, grassroots groups in Africa.

Our priority countries for grantmaking are the heavily AIDS- and poverty-affected countries of Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Firelight also funds renewal grants and solicited proposals from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. For many of our grantees, our support is the first external donor funding they have received.

Too many funders deem it too risky or logistically demanding to fund small, grassroots organizations in Africa. Our partners have shown again and again that they are well-placed to make the right decisions and to help small grants go a long way in assisting the most vulnerable children. Many grantees receive renewal grants and go on to receive funding from other donors.

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