ActionAid was founded as a charity in 1972. In the 1990s, it adopted a human rights-based approach to development. Later in 2003, the organization became the ActionAid International federation. Its head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa but has hubs in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

The organization is focused on four areas. They are women, politics, economics (particular focus on women’s rights), land and climate, and emergencies. It has 45 country offices and over 2,000 local partner organizations worldwide. Its partners range from small community support groups to national alliances and international networks seeking solutions on a range of development issues. The NGO’s work with these campaign networks highlights the issues that affect poor people and influences policy decisions.

ActionAid works closely with people living in poverty and exclusion, civil society organizations, social movements, and development supporters. The aim is to provide grassroots programmes, and emergency relief, and to campaign for things such as women’s economic rights, tax justice, and climate justice.

ActionAid, just like many NGOs, thrives on donations from the general public to fund its developmental activities.

“We believe in the power in people. If we can support people to know, claim and defend their rights, the world will be a fairer place”- ActionAid.

REFERENCE

Information from https://actionaid.org/who-we-are, https://www.chsalliance.org/about/our-members/actionaid-international/,  and https://www.devex.com/organizations/actionaid-44486 was used in this story