The Bantwana Initiative

The Bantwana Initiative ('children' in Zulu) helps children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS access the full range of support and comprehensive care they need to grow into healthy adults.

Orphaned and vulnerable children do best when they are supported and cared for in their own communities, among extended families, friends, and neighbors. Yet available resources are not getting to where they are most needed—to communities where these children live.

By building the skills, resources, and networks of local programs already caring for orphaned and vulnerable children, Bantwana offers a different way of thinking, testing, and scaling efforts that will shape the next generation of Africa’s youth.