Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project

A refresher for all our community members, new and old! The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project advances and invests in the health, education, and safety of young people living in Southern Africa to create a more equitable future for all. We support transformative, locally-led change by partnering with community-based organizations – our Program Partners – that support young people, their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender-based violence prevention. Learn more about CTAOP and our Program Partners' work, sign up for our email newsletter, make a donation, check out our merch store, create a peer-to-peer fundraiser, and more by joining us at ctaop.org 💛

Today, we celebrate International Day of the Girl by honoring the resilience, strength, and boundless potential of girls and young women around the world. While it’s essential to shed light on the challenges they still face—from limited access to education and high rates of HIV infections to abusive practices like child marriage—it’s equally important to recognize their dreams and actions towards a brighter future. This year’s theme, “Girls' Vision for the Future,” reflects the hope and courage held by young women even in the face of great adversity. . It's up to all of us to support their dreams and ensure they have the tools, safety, and opportunities needed to lead, innovate, and create a world that is just, inclusive, and equitable. We proudly amplify their voices and fight for their rights—because when girls rise, we all rise 💛 📸 of CTAOP YL Scholar Onesimo by Bulumko Gana

World, meet Jade. This may be the first time you hear from her, but we are certain it won't be the last 🚀 We had the great fortune of meeting this special young leader while visiting CTAOP Program Partner Amandla Development during our pre-Summit Partner visits. Watch to hear from Jade the phenomenal accomplishments she's achieved, how she found herself as a young recent graduate in South Africa, the impact being involved with Amandla has had on her life so far, and the impact SHE'S been able to make on other young people. Amandla Development, you've got bottled lightning in this one ⚡️⚡️⚡️

ATTN: Are you a community-based organization in South Africa working to combat gender-based violence & femicide (GBVF)? The End GBVF 100-Day Challenge, funded in 2025 by Ford Foundation, is a phenomenal opportunity to build upon the success of the Challenges that have been run since 2021, alongside other changemakers working to make South Africa a safer home for ALL. Share, learn more, and apply: https://lnkd.in/dNismauh

"We are color, we are bright, we are loud, we are proud, and we stand for the protection of ALL bodies." CTAOP Program Partner Philisa Abafazi Bethu - Family Center, which means "Heal Our Women" in isiXhosa, advocates for and serves survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence –– and they do it with joy, fortitude, and hope. Based in Lavender Hill, Cape Town, they provide medical, counseling, and legal support to survivors of gender-based violence and other abuse. Founded in 2008 by Lucinda C Evans, PAB also runs two safe houses, with one specifically for those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Other work centers around providing alternatives to joining gangs, offering programs for youth in and out of school, and a feeding program for woman-headed households, older adults, those living with disabilities, children, and young people. Hear from Lucinda, other team members, and those served by PAB on what makes the organization a "pillar" for the community. https://lnkd.in/e2dU9GME

After experiencing the magic of self portrait body mapping and reflecting positively onto others at #SwidlerSummit, CTAOP Program Partner Philisa Abafazi Bethu - Family Center took this activity and one-upped it by adding COLLAGE into the mix 😍😍😍 We could not love these photos more –– seeing young people connect through creating something with their hands and self-reflection. Swidler Summit is the gift that keeps on giving 💛

UNGA reflections via CTAOP founder Charlize Theron! // "Missing the energy of being in New York for UNGA and Climate Week, so have been reminiscing on past years! A look back at 2015 as we called on accelerated action to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. We said it then and we continue to say it …there is reason to hope, we know what works—empowering and supporting young people to take charge of their health and build the future they envision for themselves. Feeling so inspired watching young leaders gather at the United Nations and after listening to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ speech on #OurCommonFuture. May we all continue to hold the invest and believe in creating change for the better. Photo Credit: UN Photo/Cia Pak"

KZN-based friends, listen up!! 📢 TOMORROW, join CTAOP strategic partner ACTIVATE! Change Drivers in Durban for the KZN Provincial Imbizo – a community gathering on pertinent community issues. Activate! Change Drivers is a network of over 4500 young leaders across South Africa who are driving change for the public good –– so naturally, this gathering will focus on enhancing youth participation in policy-making and implementation towards achieving a violence-free and gender-just society. We're so grateful to our partners for creating spaces like this, which create opportunities for youth to lead and thrive! Check out the poster for all event details | Share with your local networks!

Last year, alongside DG Murray Trust and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, we launched Sukuthula! Unmute and Act, a participatory grantmaking initiative designed to fund small community-based organizations (CBOs) in underserved districts that typically are financially excluded from mainstream donor funding. Participatory grantmaking encourages community-led decision-making –– in our case, a community representative panel made up of activists, youth, law enforcement, government, survivors, nonprofits, educators, and academics decided on the criteria for the initiative. 36 CBOs embedded in their communities across 4 districts were chosen to be part of the first cohort of grant recipients, and this year Sukuthula team leads – including CTAOP's Jessie Chiliza – got a chance to visit many of them in the Eastern Cape and see their impact first hand. Meet the full cohort, learn more, and get to know these incredible organizations here: https://lnkd.in/gQsjZbYu [First graphic c/o The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation]

We were so inspired visiting the team at BRAVE Rock Girl in Manenberg ahead of last month's #SwidlerSummit! This youth-led Program Partner embodies so much of what CTAOP hopes to continue investing in with even more fervor: Every time we see or engage with these young women, we leave with the knowledge that hope is very much alive in South Africa. This visit was the first time we've ever had the opportunity to sit in person with the junior girls' council. It is so clear that BRAVE provides a deeply needed and cherished safe space for these girls outside of their homes; a place for them to dive deep into their authentic selves and discover their capacity for leadership 💛