Mozilla is providing grants of $50,000, $25,000, and $15,000 to African nonprofits working at the intersection of technology and social justice

(JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2022) — Mozilla’s Africa Innovation Mradi is opening up grants worth $350,000 through its new In Real Life (IRL) Fund. The Fund fuels work by not-for-profit organizations on the African continent — with a particular focus on Kenya and South Africa — that are advancing digital and human rights, both on and offline.

For example, IRL awardees might be a grassroots initiative that brings more women online in rural communities; art or multimedia works that highlight extractive online practices; a project that explores creative online spaces for youth activism; or an open-source app that helps farmers track and increase yield. (This is not an exhaustive list; we welcome applications that explore any and all ideas relevant to the lived experiences of Africans.)

Ultimately, the IRL Fund seeks to support African partners with emerging ideas, initiatives, projects and strategies that strengthen digital and human rights and impact their communities “In Real Life.” This is a new, exploratory grantmaking mechanism intended to build a cohort of partners working on initiatives that address real challenges on the African continent.

Africa Innovation Mradi leverages Mozilla’s role as stewards of the open web to promote innovation grounded in the unique needs of users in African countries. The program establishes networks of partners and communities exploring and developing new projects, technologies, and products grounded in open innovation that produce a meaningful impact on the African internet ecosystem.

Three different types of grants will be available through the IRL Fund:

  • Pamoja (Together) - $50,000 USD
    • Supports collaboration between two or more organizations based in/working in Kenya or South Africa, with a strategy in place that seeks to integrate digital resilience or technology related innovation/advocacy. Networks/collectives can be pan-African but include work in Eastern and Southern Africa
  • Nguvu (Strengthen) - $25,000 USD
    • Open to individual organizations or collaboration between two or more organizations working in Kenya and South Africa
  • Nia (Path) - $15,000 USD
    • Open to organizations legally registered in the African country of work. If not legally registered, applicants must have a fiscal host that is legally registered on the African continent

Says Roselyn Odoyo, Senior Program Officer at Mozilla: “After months of imagining and shaping the IRL Fund, the Africa Innovation Mradi team is very excited to see it come to life. We are looking forward to receiving applications from organizations passionate about where tech and social justice meet in real life on the African continent.“

After months of imagining and shaping the IRL Fund, the Africa Innovation Mradi team is very excited to see it come to life. We are looking forward to receiving applications from organizations passionate about where tech and social justice meet in real life on the African continent.

ROSELYN ODOYO, SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER AT MOZILLA

Odoyo adds: “We are looking for programs, people, and projects across a very broad spectrum of internet health. We want to understand and help shape positive experiences for African citizens online.”

Applications for the In Real Life Fund close on 30 November 2022. For more information on criteria and to apply, visit this site.

Press contacts: Shandukani O. | [email protected]