We work at the roots of African communities to create environments in which Africans can thrive. Our vision is an Africa that is not dependent on aid but on the resourcefulness and capabilities of its people. Regardless of where we work, our approach is the same: we help communities through partnerships and shared decision-making. We do what's needed, where it's needed, working across four program areas: developing skills for life and work; reinvigorating the economy; providing humanitarian aid; and influencing policy. At the same time, our founding belief that the protection of the natural environment is integral to a thriving community cuts across everything we do.

AMREF's mission is to empower the people of Africa, through better health, to escape poverty and improve the quality of their lives.

Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. seeks sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty, with special emphasis on the needs of rural communities in mountainous and other resource-poor areas. Priority is given to integrated approaches that are community-based, participatory and innovative, and reinforce civil society and respect local culture. The geographic focus of the Foundation's work is in East Africa and South and Central Asia. The Foundation's activities are guided by the conviction that self-help brings dignity and self-respect, which in turn generate human creative energy. Key characteristics of the Foundation's programmatic approach are the promotion of integrated area development, solutions-oriented models, partnerships with local counterpart organizations, and long-term relationships with donor agencies and peer organizations. Aga Khan Foundation, a private, nondenominational, not-for-profit international organization, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1967 by its Chairman, His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, which have a long tradition of philanthropy, volunteerism, self-help, education and social welfare. The Foundation currently supports over 100 projects in health, education, rural development, civil society and the environment. Aga Khan Foundation is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of private development agencies working to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in Africa and Asia. The Network's agencies have individual mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalization of historic cities. The Network works for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion and its underlying impulse is the ethic of compassion for the vulnerable in society.