INERELA+

What INERELA+ does

INERELA+ (International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS) is a Johannesburg-headquartered, international interfaith non-profit network founded in 2002. The organization empowers religious leaders — both lay and ordained, women and men — who are living with or personally affected by HIV to serve as transformational change agents within their faith communities. Its primary beneficiaries are religious leaders, youth and adolescents, key populations (including sex workers, LGBTQI+ individuals, and people living with HIV), and faith communities across 16 active country networks concentrated in the African Region with additional presence in Asia/Pacific, Canada, the Americas, and Europe and Central Asia. The organization is led by Executive Director Munya Mandipaza and governed by a Board of Directors.

The organization's core methodology is the SAVE Prevention Model — Safer practices, Access to treatment, Voluntary Counseling and Testing, and Empowerment through education. Its product portfolio consists primarily of free educational toolkits and resources for faith communities: the SAVE Toolkit, ASRHR (Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights) Handbook, Religious Leaders Toolkit, Sermon Guides, Case Studies, Annual Reports, and Newsletters, plus a confidential Anonymous Submissions Platform for reporting domestic violence and stigma-related experiences. These are offered as free downloads from the organization's website.

INERELA+ operates as a non-profit funded through grants and donations from international donors, foundations, and government agencies, including the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Aidsfonds. All services and resources are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. The organization maintains 7 office locations spanning South Africa (HQ), India, Sweden, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, and Costa Rica, and employs 36 staff globally. Its go-to-market is community-led: religious leaders are trained and equipped with toolkits, then cascade the intervention through their congregations, supplemented by event-driven advocacy at ICASA, the International AIDS Conference, World Health Summit, CSW68, and UN High-level meetings on HIV/AIDS.

Name

INERELA+

Legal name

The International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS

Website

https://inerela.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INERELA+ is a South Africa-based international interfaith non-profit network founded in 2002 that empowers religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV to deliver HIV prevention, SRHR, GBV, and stigma-reduction programming across 16 active country networks spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based HIV Advocacy and SRHR Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO)

Keywords

• Faith-based HIV prevention
• Interfaith health advocacy
• Religious leader training
• SRHR education
• Community health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: INERELA+ operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants from international donors, foundations, and government agencies. Funding supports country network operations, project implementation, and advocacy activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INERELA+ equips and mobilizes an interfaith network of religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV to break stigma and deliver evidence-informed HIV prevention, SRHR, GBV, and human rights programming within their faith communities. Its core deliverables are the proprietary SAVE Prevention Model packaged into toolkits (SAVE Toolkit, ASRHR Handbook, Religious Leaders Toolkit, Sermon Guides) and accompanying Training-of-Trainers capacity-building workshops, supplemented by case studies, newsletters, and an anonymous submissions platform.

Product overview

INERELA+ operates as an international, interfaith network of religious leaders focused on HIV prevention, stigma reduction, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The organization's product portfolio consists primarily of educational toolkits and resources designed for faith communities, including the SAVE Toolkit (the core prevention methodology), ASRHR Handbook, Religious Leaders Toolkit, Sermon Guides, and Case Studies. These resources are complemented by publications (Annual Reports, Newsletters) and an Anonymous Submissions Platform for confidential reporting. The offerings follow a unified approach centered on faith-based education and advocacy rather than a technology platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAVE Toolkit A comprehensive HIV prevention toolkit that addresses stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, inaction, and misaction through the SAVE prevention model, designed for religious leaders and HIV practitioners working in faith communities.
• ASRHR Handbook Handbook providing guidance on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) for faith communities and religious leaders engaging adolescents.
• Religious Leaders Toolkit A toolkit designed for religious leaders to address HIV, stigma, SRHR, and related health issues within faith communities.
• Sermon Guides Downloadable sermon guides for religious leaders focused on faith-based responses to HIV and related social issues.
• Anonymous Submissions Platform A secure and confidential online platform for individuals to anonymously share experiences related to domestic violence, social issues, and stigma.
• SAVE Training and Capacity-Building Workshops In-person and virtual Training of Trainers workshops delivered through country networks on HIV prevention, stigma reduction, SRHR, GBV response, and human rights advocacy for religious leaders and partner organizations.
• Case Studies Case studies documenting INERELA+ programme experiences across six thematic areas: Access to Services, Advocacy, Capacity Building, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender Based Violence, and Economic Empowerment and Skills Building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 active country networks across African Region with presence in Asia/Pacific, Canada, Americas, Europe and Central Asia
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PMNCH (Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026INERELA+ participated in PMNCH's 'Truth Matters Dialogue' series on mis- and disinformation, focusing on protecting women, children, and adolescents' health. PMNCH serves as a key platform for INERELA+ to engage in global health policy discussions and advocacy for WCAH.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Formal agreement between UNESCO and INERELA+ to build support for adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), gender equality, and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) among faith actors. Partnership aims to foster an enabling environment for effective CSE delivery and violence prevention through faith actors in the education sector.
• UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINERELA+ participated in UNAIDS-supported interactive multi-stakeholder hearing for the 2026 UN High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS at UN Headquarters in New York. INERELA+ Board Member Gracia Violetta served on the Task Force organizing the hearings.
• AidsfondscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for the Hands Off Project to reduce violence against vulnerable groups and sex workers across Southern Africa. Aidsfonds provides funding and programmatic guidance for the multi-country initiative that began in 2020 and concluded in 2026.
• Africa CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convenor of World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi alongside WHO and Aga Khan University. Partnership focuses on reimagining Africa's health systems, advancing WCAH, and health sovereignty agenda.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026. Partnership addresses health systems strengthening, infodemic management, and global health policy alignment.
• Aga Khan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. Academic partnership for convening 3,000+ delegates from 80+ countries.
• Faith to Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINERELA+ participated in Faith to Action Network's 4th Interfaith Convention 2025 in Kenya. Joint focus on family health, gender justice, peacebuilding, and interfaith collaboration on health rights.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Civil Society Strengthening project including virtual coaching and mentorship workshops for country networks implementing SAVE the Children programs.
• UNFPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convenor of LIVES IN THE BALANCE event on adolescent health and well-being. Partnership on sexual and reproductive health advocacy.
• UNICEFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convenor of adolescent health events and initiatives. Partnership on HPV vaccination misinformation response in Moldova and other country-level programs.
• GaviminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convenor of LIVES IN THE BALANCE event. Partnership on childhood vaccination and health systems strengthening.
• Young Volunteers for Environment ZambiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership with local NGO focused on strengthening youth voices towards building climate-resilient Zambia.
• Innovation Village for Young African MindsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with youth-led organization creating ecosystem for collaborations, knowledge transfer, and innovation targeting environmental sustainability.
• Springs of Life (Zimbabwe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Zimbabwe conducting inclusive faith-based advocacy and human rights protection dialogue sessions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Religions for Peace: Global multi-religious coalition with comparable interfaith convening model and UN access; overlaps with INERELA+ on religious-leader engagement but operates at broader thematic scope.
• Islamic Relief Worldwide: Large faith-based humanitarian organization with HIV/SRHR components; comparable in faith-led health programming but much larger budget and broader thematic scope.
• Frontline AIDS: Larger international partnership of civil society organizations working on HIV, SRHR, and human rights — overlapping with INERELA+ on key-population programming and Aidsfonds co-funding relationships.
• Catholic Relief Services: Major faith-based international humanitarian agency with extensive HIV and SRHR programming; comparable in faith-engagement mechanism but operates with vastly greater resources.

Direct peers

• Faith to Action Network: Interfaith network focused on family health, gender justice, and SRHR — directly comparable to INERELA+ in mission, faith-engagement model, and UN partnership footprint. Already a confirmed collaboration partner.
• World Council of Churches – Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy (EHAIA): WCC programme engaging churches on HIV, stigma, and SRHR — directly comparable to INERELA+ on faith-based stigma reduction and theological reframing of HIV.
• Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa (CABSA): Faith-based HIV and SRHR organization in Southern Africa; directly comparable to INERELA+ on theological entry points, target population (religious leaders), and HIV stigma focus.
• Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance: Faith-based global advocacy network on HIV, food justice, and SDG issues; closely comparable to INERELA+ on ecumenical advocacy model and UN-facing engagement.
• Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ): Faith-based health network coordinating church health services in Zambia; comparable mission-aligned peer operating in INERELA+ ZANERELA+ territory with similar HIV and SRHR programmatic focus.

Emerging players

• Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+): Worldwide network of people living with HIV, including many with faith-based engagement; shares INERELA+'s lived-experience philosophy and UNAIDS advocacy access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/INERELA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/INERELA
• Facebookfacebook.com/about
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inerela-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about INERELA+