Fountain Of Hope Africa

What Fountain Of Hope Africa does

Fountain Of Hope Africa is a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in January 2010 by Marcel Cirhuza, a survivor of war from eastern DRC who spent 11 years as a resident of Dzaleka refugee camp. It is headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi, and operates in both Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, serving refugees and marginalized populations through a multi-vertical program portfolio.

The organization's program stack includes a community school at Dzaleka refugee camp launched in 2015 that serves more than 1,000 children; a Water and Sanitation program added in 2020; a Higher Education Sponsorship program launched in 2021; the Tulia mental health initiative; the Take the Lead online learning pathway delivered in partnership with eCornell and Mexoxo; and the ArTERY economic empowerment program run with WUSC Malawi. A DRC Crisis Response line was activated in 2025 to deliver emergency programming in Goma and Bukavu. Field credibility is reinforced by selection for the Obama Foundation program in 2023 and an active partnership stack that includes Segal Family Foundation, Cohere, KBFUS, Mortensen Family Foundation, and GGEM Farming.

The revenue model is grant- and donation-based: there is no commercial pricing or product sales motion. Income is sourced from a concentrated set of institutional funders, individual donations channeled through the website, and named partnerships. The organization runs with 1–10 employees, indicating a lean operating model that depends on volunteer labor, partner delivery capacity, and founder-led field operations rather than a large payroll base. No revenue, budget, or audited financials are publicly disclosed.

Name

Fountain Of Hope Africa

Legal name

Fountain of Hope Africa

Website

https://fountainofhopeafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fountain Of Hope Africa is a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 2010 by Marcel Cirhuza, operating in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves refugees and marginalized populations through education, economic empowerment, food security, water and sanitation, mental health, and crisis response programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Refugee Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Educational Support Services (611710), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Refugee education programs
• Community development programs
• Economic empowerment programs
• Water sanitation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lilongwe

HQ country

Malawi

HQ region

Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization raises funds through online donations via its website and third-party platforms like every.org. U.S. donors can make tax-deductible contributions through the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS). Revenue comes from individual donors, institutional partners, and foundation grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fountain Of Hope Africa is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that delivers direct services to refugees and conflict-affected populations in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its programs span primary and secondary education, online skills-based learning (Take the Lead), accelerated schooling for out-of-school children, higher education sponsorship for girls, economic empowerment with micro-capital and business training, smallholder farmer support and food relief, potable water distribution, mental health support (Tulia Project), and emergency humanitarian response in Eastern DRC. Programs are funded through individual donations, foundation grants, and partner organizations, and are delivered in-person through field staff and site coordinators in refugee camps and conflict zones.

Product overview

Fountain Of Hope Africa is a non-profit humanitarian organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on education, economic empowerment, food security, water and sanitation, and mental health support for refugees and marginalized communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The core offerings include: a primary and secondary school at Dzaleka refugee camp serving over 1000 children; the Take the Lead online learning program (with eCornell University and Mexoxo); the School Recovery Program for out-of-school minors in DRC; Higher Education Sponsorship for marginalized girls; Economic Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation providing business literacy and capital; the Food Security Program supporting smallholder farmers; Water and Sanitation services; the Tulia mental health project; and emergency DRC Crisis Response. These programs are designed to work together to address the комплексны needs of displaced populations, with pathways from education to economic independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary and Secondary School at Dzaleka Refugee Camp School program at Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi providing primary education to over 1,000 forcibly displaced children (refugees and asylum seekers) since 2015, plus secondary school sponsorship for 40 refugee and Malawian students per year with 90% female participation.
• Take the Lead Program Online skills-based instruction program delivered in partnership with Mexoxo and eCornell University, providing leadership, entrepreneurship, time management, and career exploration courses to refugees and underserved populations to prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship.
• School Recovery Program Accelerated Learning Program in Bukavu, DRC, serving over 500 out-of-school children ages 12-17 by compressing six years of primary education into three years, with priority for teen mothers.
• Higher Education Sponsorship Program sponsoring marginalized girls in Eastern DRC for college/university education, providing tuition fees and learning materials with special consideration for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
• Economic Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation Program Program providing business literacy, access to capital, mentorship, and coaching to women and youth, achieving a 93% business sustainability rate and 78% job creation rate among beneficiaries, with COVID-19 unconditional cash transfers reaching 1,002 vulnerable households.
• Food Security Program Program supporting smallholder farmers with agriculture training, mentoring, coaching, and access to hybrid seeds and organic fertilizer, complemented by food relief aid distributions for crisis-affected communities in DRC and Malawi.
• Water and Sanitation (WASH) Program Program supplying potable water to over 1,000 refugee households and 9 community schools at Dzaleka refugee camp daily since 2020, and improving water and sanitation access in rural Eastern DRC.
• Tulia Mental Health Project Mental health program in Eastern DRC incorporating therapy, medical referrals, and socio-economic reinsertion for survivors of armed conflicts.
• FOH DRC Crisis Response Emergency humanitarian response providing emergency relief distribution, psychosocial support, and maternal and child care for forcibly displaced populations in Goma and Bukavu, Eastern DRC.
• ArTERY - Accelerating Transition to Employment for Refugee Youth 6-month pilot program in partnership with WUSC Malawi equipping refugee and host community youth with business and entrepreneurship techniques, including in-class training, mentoring, coaching, and access to finance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of economic empowerment beneficiaries sustained and grew their businesses over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• GGEM FarmingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner delegation visited Dzaleka Refugee Camp in July 2025 to engage with families affected by food crisis and witness impact of Food Relief Aid Project. Collaboration on addressing food insecurity.
• Partners for EquityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralia-based organization with representative Evelyn Omala visiting FOH workplaces to conduct site visits, interact with beneficiaries, and encourage students and women entrepreneurs.
• Obama FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOH Executive Director Marcel Cirhuza participated in Global Convening Athens 2023 with Obama Foundation, meeting President Barack Obama and connecting with change makers from Europe, Asia-pacific and Africa.
• WUSC MalawimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ArTERY (Accelerating Transition to Employment for Refugee Youth) project. WUSC Malawi collaboration equips youth with business and entrepreneurship techniques to boost small businesses owned by refugee and host community youth.
• MexoxomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Take the Lead Program collaboration with eCornell University, providing access to skills-based instruction for refugees and underserved populations, including leadership and entrepreneurship courses.
• eCornell UniversitymajorTechnology or IntegrationOnline course provider for Take the Lead Program, delivering courses in leadership, entrepreneurship, time management, and career exploration to prepare participants for employment and entrepreneurship.
• SOL CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating with FOH, featured on Valued Collaborators page with logo displayed.
• GEREDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization, logo displayed on Valued Collaborators page.
• Flame TreeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization, logo displayed on Valued Collaborators page.
• GRNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization, logo displayed on Valued Collaborators page.
• INUAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee-led organization collaborating with FOH in community conversations about education opportunities for Dzaleka refugees.
• ATE HUBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in community conversation about education opportunities for Dzaleka refugees alongside INUA and Refugee Led Organizations (RELO).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): The UN's global refugee agency, mandates and coordinates international action for refugees. FOH operates at the grassroots end of the same refugee-protection mandate that UNHCR sets policy and funding for across Malawi and the DRC region.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development organization with active programs across Africa addressing conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and livelihoods. FOH's food security, cash transfer, and economic empowerment work overlap directly with Mercy Corps' Sub-Saharan portfolio.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large humanitarian organization delivering emergency relief, health, education, and economic recovery to crisis-affected populations worldwide. FOH's education, WASH, and economic empowerment programs in refugee camps mirror IRC's integrated refugee response model at a much smaller scale.

Direct peers

• World Relief: Evangelical humanitarian organization with a strong refugee resettlement and livelihoods portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa and globally. World Relief's refugee programming in Malawi and East Africa is closely comparable to FOH's Dzaleka-anchored work.
• Tutapona: Uganda-based refugee mental health and psychosocial support organization serving East African displacement contexts. Tutapona's therapeutic and re-integration programming is comparable to FOH's Tulia mental health project for conflict survivors in Eastern DRC.
• RefugePoint: Refugee self-reliance and resettlement nonprofit active in Africa and the Middle East. RefugePoint's focus on economic self-sufficiency for refugees closely mirrors FOH's economic empowerment and business-sustainability outcomes (93% over 5 years).
• HIAS: Jewish-American refugee resettlement and protection agency providing legal, economic, and integration services to forcibly displaced people. HIAS's economic empowerment and resettlement pathways align with FOH's livelihoods and education sponsorship work for displaced populations.
• Refuge International: Humanitarian aid nonprofit providing medical, educational, and community-development assistance in conflict-affected and refugee contexts. Refuge International's integrated service delivery to displaced populations parallels FOH's multi-sector model in DRC.
• Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS): International Catholic organization serving refugees in camps worldwide through education, livelihoods, and psychosocial support. JRS's education-focused, dignity-driven model in displacement contexts is directly comparable to FOH's Dzaleka school and DRC programs.
• Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee): Refugee-services organization operating in Africa and globally with programs in education, livelihoods, and water. Alight's refugee-led program approach in East Africa closely parallels FOH's community-rooted service delivery at Dzaleka and in DRC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fountainofhopeafrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/fountainofhopeafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fountainofhopeafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fountain Of Hope Africa