About Empowers Africa
Empowers Africa is a U.S. public charity under IRC Section 501(c)(3) that supports programs in the areas of human empowerment, wildlife protection and land conservation in sub-Saharan Africa.
We partner with some of the most effective organizations on the ground in Africa that are creating lasting and sustainable change. Since 2013, we have granted over twelve million dollars to over 60 organizations in 15 countries.
OUR FOCUS IS ON:
- funding programs in communities that live in proximity to protected conservation and wildlife areas or World Heritage Sites
- funding programs in urban communities where tourism is a strong source of development and
- funding programs that support the protection of wildlife and land conservation
At Empowers Africa, we support community-led, measurable, and sustainable programs that bolster communities by improving access to education, healthcare and business opportunities. We also support programs that protect wildlife and land conservation because we believe safeguarding Africa’s natural wealth is critical to the empowerment of the surrounding communities.
HUMAN EMPOWERMENT:
We are involved in numerous human empowerment initiatives. Education projects include school infrastructure improvement, student scholarships and supporting school feeding programs. Healthcare projects include clean water initiatives, Covid feeding and medical relief programs, and infrastructure improvements to rural health clinics. Small business development includes support to community agricultural projects, women’s cooperative gardens and beehive projects.
WILDLIFE PROTECTION AND LAND CONSERVATION:
We support various wildlife protection and land conservation projects in Africa. Specific projects include the funding of lion habitat expansion, cheetah genetic diversity efforts, black, and rhino anti-poaching unit salaries, anti-poaching equipment, and the support of rhino and elephant rescue and rehabilitation centers.
FISCAL SPONSOR PROGRAM:
Empowers Africa serves as a fiscal sponsor to over thirty organizations working on the ground in Africa. Through our 501(c)3 status, we are able to efficiently collect and process donations for some of the most effective changemakers on the continent, allowing them to focus on what’s most important—the work being done on the ground.
For more information on this program, please click here.
DOCUMENTARIES AND FILM FESTIVALS:
Empowers Africa also funds and produces educational documentaries about wildlife protection, land conservation and human empowerment issues in Africa, with the mission of raising awareness and funding. The films focus on matters including the protection of endangered species, female empowerment initiatives, and other pressing conservation issues facing the continent.
To date, we have produced 8 short film documentaries, many of which have participated in local and international film festivals and won awards. The short film, Dehorning a Rhino in the Wild, was featured in National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase and won Best Documentary Short at the 2017 London Independent Film Awards. We have also been involved in two full-length documentaries, Edge of Existence and The Last Horns of Africa.
Our latest collaborative documentary, Emergence, won Best Documentary Short Film in the 2023 Winter Film Awards International Film Festival NYC; received the Director’s Choice Award in the 42nd Thomas Edison Film Festival’s; and won Outstanding Excellence in the 2023 Winter Awards Nature without Borders Film Festival. It is also featured being in the 2023 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival and the 2023 Colorado Film Festival. Emergence will launch on WaterBear’s streaming channel in April 2023. WaterBear is an interactive, completely free, platform that is dedicated to films that address subjects such as climate change, biodiversity, sustainability, community, diversity and more.
We also charity hosts an annual film festival event in Southampton, New York, celebrating World Lion & World Elephant Day, featuring documentaries from leading conservation filmmakers.