East Africa
The violent legacy of colonialism persists in East Africa—but grassroots activists are reclaiming the future for their communities.
Though conflict, corporate greed, and human rights abuses continue to afflict the region, grassroots organizations from Burundi to Uganda are mobilizing powerful movements for change. With support from the Fund for Global Human Rights, community-led groups are resisting repression, ending exploitation, and fighting for equality across the continent.
Where We Work
Burundi
Burundi has experienced deep political and economic crises in recent decades. We invest in grassroots human rights organizations that offer hope and support to the communities most affected by violence, poverty, the climate crisis, and corruption.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The resource-rich DRC continues to struggle with chronic armed violence, rampant corruption, and brutal extractive industry. We strive to help local groups support networks of solidarity and collaboration, at both the national and international level, against exploitation by state, corporate, and armed actors.
Kenya
Kenyan officials have cracked down on human rights activists in recent years. We help civil society organizations develop the networks, tools, and strategies needed to continue their critical efforts.
Uganda
Young people in Uganda face high unemployment, widespread poverty, and political repression under an entrenched political regime. We invest in the agency and power of young people—especially from marginalized communities like youth with disabilities—to shape their own futures.
Ending Exploitation in the DRC’s Deadly Cobalt Mines
The world runs on technology powered by Congolese cobalt. But cobalt extraction is a major driver of human rights abuses. From families displaced by transnational mining conglomerates to the destructive environmental impacts of open-pit mining, the cobalt supply chain is fueled by significant human and environmental harms. With support from the Fund for Global Human Rights, Congolese civil society is working to disrupt the mining industry and break the cycle of rapacious global exploitation.
The Fund for Global Human Rights currently invests in and supports more than 500 organizations and grassroots groups around the world. Together, we’re building a diverse global movement to advance:
