CTAOP strengthens the health and safety of young people in Southern Africa to unleash their power and potential. CTAOP works with their Program Partners (community-based organizations) providing funding, strengthening capacity, and bringing awareness to their work, with a shared vision of a world where all young people are healthy, safe, and able to thrive. CTAOP also uplifts young changemakers through two programs: the Youth Leaders Scholarship (YLS) and Youth Leaders Fellowship (YLF). Both programs hold the ethos that young people within communities are powerful and effective drivers of change.

photo by Shen Scott

CTAOP was created in 2007 by Charlize Theron, Academy Award® winning actor and UN Messenger of Peace, with the hope of making a difference in the lives of young people in her home country of South Africa.

CTAOP commits to a values-driven approach. CTAOP puts PEOPLE first and shares in our interconnectedness as humans through the spirit of Ubuntu: ‘I am because you are.’

Although the geographic scope of CTAOP has expanded, South Africa remains the primary focus of the foundation’s work. Through the years of working with their incredible Program Partners, they have learned that transformative change comes from within communities themselves.