ABOUT US
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Everyone has talent and potential but not everyone has access to opportunities.
We work to address this gap by partnering with rural schools and communities in East Africa to provide vulnerable and underserved youth with educational resources and support they need to succeed both in the classroom and beyond.
We are locally respected because our staff comes from the communities we serve. With input from parents and local leaders, our in-country staff and local youth leaders drive program design and are the face of our organization.
WE WORK IN RURAL EAST AFRICA
WHAT WE DO
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Rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Goals #4, #5, and #8), Asante Africa Foundation achieves results through a set of interlinked programs designed to alleviate poverty by fostering the development of educated and resilient youth.
Our integrated programs emphasize quality learning in the classroom, gender equity, work-life skills, and the power of STEM. Programs are evidence-based and designed to advance education, skill development, and opportunity creation.
Wezesha Vijana Program (SDG #5)
Empower girls with health and hygiene knowledge, finance, business, and social skills.
Accelerated Learning Program & Scholarships (SDG #4)
Ensure access to education through scholarships, provide quality training to teachers, and supply digital & low-cost resources.
Youth Livelihood Program (SDG #8)
Develop Africa’s youth through leadership, entrepreneurship, and job readiness training.
All of our programs have a focus on: Gender equality & equity, inclusion of the forgotten and marginalized, climate solutions & environmental sustainability, and community engagement.
Wezesha Vijana Program
Empower girls with health and hygiene knowledge, finance, business, and social skills.
Accelerated Learning Program & Scholarships
Ensure access to education through scholarships, provide quality training to teachers, and supply digital & low-cost resources.
Youth Livelihood Program
Develop Africa’s youth through leadership, entrepreneurship, and job readiness training.
All of our programs have a focus on: Gender equality & equity, inclusion of the forgotten and marginalized, climate solutions & environmental sustainability, and community engagement.
OUR MISSION
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Educate and empower the next generation of change agents,
whose dreams and actions transform the future for Africa and the world.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH
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Our Learn-Do-Teach model and Pay-it-Forward philosophy enable young people to learn, practice, and teach essential life and career skills. The teaching of others deepens their knowledge and confidence. This integrated approach enables deeper learning and ensures they put their skills into practice within their communities.
LEARN
Youth learn life skills by developing personalized roadmaps, creating entrepreneurship and employability awareness, communication, and leadership skills.
DO
Hands-on experimentation turns concepts into reality and ideas into action, paving the way for community enterprises and workforce creation.
TEACH
Educated and empowered youth create ripples of change by collaborating and sharing knowledge with peers, siblings, parents, and younger students.
PAY-IT-FORWARD
Participants observe local challenges, and put solutions into action through community service. Sharing their skills instills confidence and enables young people to become active leaders in their communities.
OUR 2025 GROWTH STRATEGY
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Over the last 15 years, we have learned, refined, and strengthened our model based on evidence, external evaluations, and ongoing feedback from the youth we serve and their communities.
As we look to the future, monitoring and evaluation remains central to our growth model. So too does engagement at the local level. Guided by the inputs of our in-country teams and local youth leaders, by 2025, our programs will empower 1,600,000 young people in rural East Africa with skills and knowledge to become effective change agents.
2025 GOALS
UNLEASH AND AMPLIFY YOUTH POTENTIAL
Reach and impact 1,600,000 lives
FUEL THE VISION AND IMPACT
Secure a diversity of funds with global influence
DEEPEN AND STRENGTHEN
Strengthen our East Africa-led organization
OUR FOUNDING STORY
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Asante Africa Foundation traces its origins to the collective vision of three accomplished women who shared a profound commitment to advancing education and empowerment in rural East Africa. This visionary trio, comprised of Hellen Nkuraiya, an esteemed Kenyan Primary School Headteacher; Emmy Moshi, a successful Tanzanian business owner; and Erna Grasz, a distinguished Silicon Valley Electrical Engineer, founded Asante Africa with the objective of equipping East Africa’s youth to confront life’s challenges with confidence, assert their rights, prosper in the global economy, and catalyze positive transformative change.
Initially rooted in two small villages in Kenya and Tanzania, Asante Africa’s primary focus centered on advancing girls’ education. However, the co-founders realized the imperative need for a multifaceted, systemic solution driven by local communities. This realization prompted the development of age-appropriate life skills, leadership training, and hands-on entrepreneurial initiatives tailored for primary and secondary school youth.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Mission and Organization
These questions target users looking for the organization’s core purpose, values, and reputation.
- What is the mission and vision of Asante Africa Foundation? Our mission and vision are to Educate and empower the next generation of change agents, whose dreams and actions transform the future for Africa and the world.
- Where is the Asante Africa Foundation headquartered, and where does it work? Our programs, executive leadership, and operating staff are located in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The North American organization is based in Livermore, California.
- Who were the founders of Asante Africa Foundation and what was their motivation? Asante Africa Foundation traces its origins to the collective vision of three accomplished women who shared a profound commitment to advancing education and empowerment in rural East Africa. This visionary trio, comprised of Hellen Nkuraiya, an esteemed Kenyan Primary School Headteacher; Emmy Moshi, a successful Tanzanian business owner; and Erna Grasz, a distinguished Silicon Valley Electrical Engineer, founded Asante Africa with the objective of equipping East Africa’s youth to confront life’s challenges with confidence, assert their rights, prosper in the global economy, and catalyze positive transformative change.
- Is Asante Africa Foundation a highly-rated nonprofit organization? We consistently earn the Top Rated Nonprofit badge from GreatNonprofits, and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Guidestar and Candid Platinum.
- How does Asante Africa ensure its programs are locally-driven and community-respected? Our staff comes from the communities we serve. With input from parents and local leaders, our in-country staff and local youth leaders drive program design and are the face of our organization.
2. Programmatic Approach and Model
These FAQs capture searches related to specific development models, educational frameworks, and key focus areas.
- What is the Learn-Do-Teach model used by Asante Africa Foundation? It’s an innovative educational methodology used across all programs to maximize skill retention and application. Students Learn new knowledge (like financial literacy or leadership), Do hands-on projects to apply the knowledge (like starting a small business), and Teach the skills to their peers, families, and community members. This approach is proven to increase knowledge retention up to 90%.
- How does the “Pay-it-Forward” philosophy work in Asante Africa’s programs? “Pay-it-Forward” is a required component of all programs that ensures participants become active change agents. Students who gain skills and knowledge are required to use them to benefit their community. Examples include scholarship students mentoring younger children, program alumni starting NGOs, or youth sharing financial skills with their parents and neighbors. This approach creates a sustainable ripple effect of change.
- Which United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) does Asante Africa Foundation focus on? Asante Africa’s programs are strategically rooted in addressing three core UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in East Africa:
- SDG #4: Quality Education (Addressed through Scholarships and the Accelerated Learning Program)
- SDG #5: Gender Equality (Addressed through the Wezesha Vijana Program’s focus on girls’ empowerment and male allyship)
- SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth (Addressed through the Youth Livelihood Program’s job readiness and entrepreneurship training)
- What is Asante Africa’s approach to incorporating gender equity, STEM, and climate solutions into its programs? Asante Africa integrates these global priorities across all its programs:
- Gender Equity: Achieved by focusing heavily on empowering girls through the Wezesha Vijana Program and actively engaging boys as allies to shift cultural norms.
- STEM: Integrated by providing digital resources, equipping schools with technology, and offering scholarships and after-school clubs to encourage girls’ participation in science and technology. Our Youth Livelihood program also focuses on critical thinking and systems approaches to problem-solving.
- Climate Solutions: Embedded in the curriculum by promoting “Green Economy” income-generating activities, such as sustainable farming or recycling businesses, through the Youth Livelihood Program.
- What are the four interlinked programs offered by Asante Africa Foundation? Asante Africa uses a multifaceted, interconnected approach to education and empowerment through four core programs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda:
- Wezesha Vijana Program (WVP): Focuses on life skills, health, and financial literacy for young women and male allies.
- Youth Livelihood Program (YLP): Provides job readiness, personal development, and entrepreneurship training for youth.
- Accelerated Learning Program (ALP): Trains teachers and provides digital resources to improve the quality of classroom learning.
- Scholarships: Offers merit- and need-based financial aid to ensure vulnerable youth access and complete their education.
3. Impact and Future Goals
These questions focus on the organization’s past reach and future strategy, appealing to potential major donors and strategic partners.
- What is Asante Africa Foundation’s 2025 growth strategy and target? Our goal is to reach and impact 1,600,000 lives by 2025. By the end of 2024, we had reached over 1.5 million people. In 2025, we are focused on reaching our target by strengthening our East Africa-led organization and securing diverse funds with global influence.
- How long has Asante Africa Foundation been operating in East Africa? We’ve been operating since 2007.
- How does Asante Africa Foundation measure the impact and effectiveness of its programs?
- How can I view or download the Asante Africa Foundation’s Strategic Plan? You can download it here.
4. Partnership and Support
These FAQs are designed for users interested in funding or partnering with the organization.
- How can I partner with Asante Africa Foundation to support education in East Africa? Asante Africa Foundation continuously seeks collaborative and philosophically like-minded partners for complimentary implementation models, evaluation and learning partners, and geographical growth partners. We also need consortium partnerships to access new funding streams and expand reach. Contact us to discuss opportunities for collaboration.
- What kinds of partnerships does Asante Africa seek (e.g., corporate, non-profit, community)? We have had many successful partnership with corporations interested in investing in the next generation of producers, consumers and change makers. Non-profit organizations tend to be good fits for expanding implemention or conducting studies to monitor, evaluate and learn from program impact.
- How can I contact Asante Africa’s teams in the USA, Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda?
- How does Asante Africa Foundation work to secure diverse funding with global influence?
5. Does Asante Africa Foundation only support girls, or are boys also included in its programs?
- Asante Africa’s mission is rooted in gender equity and focuses heavily on empowering young women and girls due to the unique barriers they face (e.g., early marriage, violence).
- The Wezesha Vijana Program (WVP) is specifically woman-centered but includes boys as peer-allies to challenge gender norms and create a supportive environment. (The search results mention 90% of male participants in WVP say they would support their sisters in need).
- Programs like the Youth Livelihood Program (YLP) and Scholarships are open to all youth and students (boys and girls) based on merit and need, ensuring all marginalized youth can access opportunities.
- The organization emphasizes active male allyship to achieve lasting system-wide change.
6. How does Asante Africa Foundation address gender equity in its programs?
- Asante Africa is focused on achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality.
- It uses a four-pronged approach where one core program, WVP, specifically addresses the intellectual, social, and professional life skills of young women.
- The organization actively works with parents, peers, and the community to challenge cultural norms that prevent girls from accessing and completing their education.
- It ensures that all programs integrate training on gender equity and foster leadership qualities for both male and female participants.