Empowers Africa

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Empowers Africa is an American public charity formed under IRC Section 501(c)(3) that supports programs in the areas of human empowerment, wildlife protection, and land conservation in sub-Saharan Africa. It partners with some of the most effective organizations on the ground in Africa that are creating lasting and sustainable change. Since 2013, Empowers Africa has granted donations to over 60 organizations in 15 countries.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

History and Overview

Empowers Africa was founded in 2013 by 20 trustees and an advisory committee, including Krista Krieger, the former chair of the Africa Foundation (USA) and a former trustee of the African Wildlife Foundation. “We are a group of women who are supporting programs that focus on human empowerment, land conservation, and wildlife protection,” says Krieger. “We look for programs run by well-organized, successful organizations and research each project to make sure it is measurable, sustainable, and has the endorsement of the local communities and governments.[3]

Empowers Africa focuses primarily on:

  1. Funding programs that support the protection of wildlife and land conservation
  2. Funding programs in communities that live in proximity to protected conservation and wildlife areas or World Heritage Sites
  3. Funding programs in urban communities where tourism is a strong source of development

Empowers Africa supports community-led, measurable, and sustainable programs that bolster communities by improving access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities. It also supports programs that protect wildlife and land conservation because it believes that safeguarding Africa’s natural wealth is critical to empowering the surrounding communities.[3]

Empowers Africa also provides a cost-effective fund-raising solution to over 25 fiscal sponsor partners in Africa who focus on conservation, wildlife protection, and human empowerment in communities that live near protected wildlife areas.

Human Empowerment

Empowers Africa is involved in numerous human empowerment initiatives within the areas of education, healthcare, and small business development. Education projects include school infrastructure improvement, student scholarships, supporting school feeding programs, and much more.[8] Healthcare projects include clean water initiatives, Covid feeding and medical relief programs, and infrastructure improvements to rural health clinics. Small business development includes the support of community agricultural projects, women’s cooperative gardens, beehive projects, and more.[9][10]

Wildlife Protection and Land Conservation

Empowers Africa supports a variety of wildlife protection and land conservation projects in Africa, including, species translocations and re-wilding efforts, anti-poaching efforts, habitat expansion, animal rescue and rehabilitation centers, genetic diversity programs, and more. Specific projects include the funding of; lion habitat expansion, cheetah genetic diversity efforts, black, and rhino anti-poaching unit salaries, anti-poaching equipment, and the support of rhino and elephant rescue and rehabilitation centers.[11]

Fiscal Sponsorship

Empowers Africa also provides a cost-effective fund-raising solution to over 25 African NGO fiscal sponsor partners with a particular focus on conservation, wildlife protection, and human empowerment in communities near protected wildlife areas. Through its fiscal sponsorship program, Empowers Africa makes it easier and more affordable for some of the most effective organizations on the ground in Africa to process donations from U.S. donors. By handling the back-office function associated with collecting and processing funds from U.S. donors, these African charities are freed up to focus on their important work on the ground in Africa.

Documentaries and Film Festivals

Empowers Africa produces educational documentaries regarding matters related to rhino anti-poaching efforts, lion and elephant collaring, education, small business development, and female empowerment. To date, the organization has produced 7 short film documentaries, and many have participated in local and international film festivals and won awards, including the NorCal Film Fest, the Independent Short Film Awards, the Crown Wood International Film Festival, and the Accolade Global Film Competition. Another short film, Dehorning a Rhino in the Wild, was featured in National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase and won Best Documentary Short at the 2017 London Independent Film Awards.[12] The foundation has also been involved in two full-length documentaries, Edge of Existence[13][14] and The Last Horns of Africa.[15]

Empowers Africa’s most recent short documentary, Emergence is about the remaining super tuskers of Tsavo.[16] Empowers Africa hosts an annual film festival event in Southampton, New York, celebrating World Lion & World Elephant Day, featuring documentaries from leading conservation filmmakers.[16][17][18][19][20]

Key People

Krista Krieger – Chair of the Board and Executive Director

Krista Krieger received her undergraduate degree in business administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and qualified as a Certified Public Accountant when she moved to New York City in 1993. She currently lives in New York City and is the Executive Director and Chair of the Empowers Africa Board of Trustees. She has made over 7 short documentaries, some winning awards at various film festivals.

Krieger is a former Senior Tax Manager for Ernst & Young LLP, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Africa Foundation (USA), and trustee of Africa Foundation (SA) and the African Wildlife Foundation. She has traveled extensively throughout Africa and was honored with The African Diaspora Award for The Friend of Africa by Applause Africa magazine on December 8, 2012. She was honored at the Voss Foundation’s Third Annual Women Helping Women event in the Hamptons on August 7, 2017.[21]

Kim Charlton – Vice-Chair of the Board

Kim arrived in New York City from the Pacific Northwest in 1977 after winning a beauty contest and quickly rose to supermodel status with numerous covers and prestigious advertising campaigns over 12 years. She grew up riding horses which began her activism for rescuing and helping all animals, including wildlife, from a very young age. In the 90s, she moved up to Westchester, where she raised her two children and had a 20-year career in real estate specializing in selling Equestrian properties, for which she received top awards.

Her passion for animals continued with the SPCA of Westchester. At this no-kill animal shelter, she established the “Critter Credit,” a financial incentive to help encourage the adoptions of senior dogs or those with medical or behavioral issues. She became involved with other non for profits all related to either helping animals or with animals that help kids and people that are less privileged mentally or physically to flourish. She is also a member of The Explorers Club in New York City, which is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in NYC in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for explorers and scientists worldwide.

Kim is proud to be active in representing Empowers Africa and being a voice for the voiceless, working together in the never-ending battle to preserve wildlife, habitats, and our collective environments, which are of course, crucial for all our children now and in the future generations to come on our planet.[22]

Beth Rudin DeWoody – Trustee

Beth Rudin DeWoody is President of The Rudin Family Foundation and Executive Vice President of Rudin Management Company. She studied at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she majored in anthropology and film studies. She further completed her studies at the New School for Social Research in New York City, where she received her B.A. in Liberal Arts. Her professional affiliations include being a charter member of New York Women Executives in Real Estate.

DeWoody is Chairman of the Arts and Culture Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY). She is on the Council of Conservators of the New York Public Library and the Library Association of MOMA. She also serves on multiple boards for art and philanthropic organizations. She has curated twelve shows for several art galleries throughout the United States. DeWoody resides in New York City and has one son, Carlton, and one daughter, Kyle.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "Charity Navigator - Rating for Empowers Africa Inc.". https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/320403737. 
  2. ↑ "How Some African Charities Are Making a Meaningful Impact" (in en-US). 2022-01-20. https://www.atoallinks.com/2022/how-some-african-charities-are-making-a-meaningful-impact/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "About Empowers Africa" (in en-US). https://empowersafrica.org/about/. 
  4. ↑ "Empowers Africa: The Door To A Brighter Future In Africa". https://ello.co/georgianabrown/post/qk8ujdazxpqump4i7oouoa. 
  5. ↑ "Confronting Struggles that Challenge Africa’s Economic Productivity" (in en). https://vk.com/@martingrayj-confronting-struggles-that-challenge-africas-economic-produc. 
  6. ↑ Whistance, Brooke. "Empowering Women and Putting an End to the Poor African Economy | By Brooke Whistance" (in en-US). https://www.launchora.com/story/empowering-women-and-putting-an-end-to-poor-af. 
  7. ↑ "Role Of Ngos In The Development Of African Region". https://www.patreon.com/posts/role-of-ngos-in-61421802. 
  8. ↑ "Empowers Africa, Levels Up The Education In The Continent!" (in en-us). https://brookewhistance.livejournal.com/2704.html. 
  9. ↑ "Why Is There A Need For Human Empowerment? -". https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/1694171-why-is-there-a-need-for-human-empowerment. 
  10. ↑ "Women And Africa: The Untapped Economic Force". https://dailygram.com/index.php/blog/1055540/women-and-africa-the-untapped-economic-force/. 
  11. ↑ "The pressing concerns of wildlife conservation". https://www.getrevue.co/profile/brookewhistance/issues/the-pressing-concerns-of-wildlife-conservation-995966. 
  12. ↑ "Films" (in en-US). https://empowersafrica.org/films/. 
  13. ↑ Echevarrieta, Gabby (2021-08-17). "Empowers Africa Hosts Annual Sunday Docs Screening" (in en-US). https://thepuristonline.com/2021/08/empowers-africa-hosts-annual-sunday-docs-screening/. 
  14. ↑ "Portable Purist 2020-21 Destinations by The Purist - Issuu" (in en). https://issuu.com/thepurist/docs/portable_purist_resorts_150dpi. 
  15. ↑ Garth, De Bruno Austin (2021-10-09), The Last Horns of Africa (Documentary), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14489688/, retrieved 2022-12-07 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 James (2022-08-09). "On The Trail Of Kenya's Super Tuskers" (in en-US). https://thepuristonline.com/2022/08/the-super-tuskers/. 
  17. ↑ Post, James Lane. "Empowers Africa Film Festival Hosts Annual Event" (in en-US). https://jameslanepost.com/empowers-africa-film-festival-hosts-annual-event/08/22/2022/Hamptons-News-Happenings. 
  18. ↑ Post, James Lane. "Empowers Africa Film Festival At Southampton Arts Center" (in en-US). https://jameslanepost.com/empowers-africa-film-festival-at-southampton-arts-center/08/10/2021/Hamptons-News-Happenings. 
  19. ↑ "Empowers Africa Hosts Series Of Docs In Celebration Of World Elephant Day And World Lion Day" (in en-US). 2020-08-09. https://hamptons.com/empowers-africa-hosts-series-of-docs-in-celebration-of-world-elephant-day-and-world-lion-day/. 
  20. ↑ Rich, Rob (2020-08-11). "2020 Empowers Africa Film Festival in Photos" (in en-US). https://www.danspapers.com/2020/08/empowers-africa-film-festival-photos/. 
  21. ↑ "Krista Krieger" (in en-US). https://empowersafrica.org/about/people/krista-krieger/. 
  22. ↑ "Kim Charlton" (in en-US). https://empowersafrica.org/about/people/kim-charlton/. 
  23. ↑ "Beth Rudin DeWoody" (in en), Wikipedia, 2022-11-27, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beth_Rudin_DeWoody&oldid=1124058411, retrieved 2022-12-07 
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