When young people lead, communities transform.
Africa Community Village is a youth-led nonprofit working at the intersection of education, environmental protection, food security, health and livelihoods — in one of the world's most complex humanitarian contexts.
Born in Goma. Built for the long term.
Africa Community Village was founded by young Congolese leaders who believe the communities most affected by conflict, poverty and environmental pressure should sit at the centre of their own recovery — not at the edges of someone else's program.
We work in Eastern DRC, around Virunga National Park, because that is where the need is greatest and where youth-led solutions can have the most lasting effect. Our five program pillars — education, environment, agriculture, health and livelihoods — are designed to reinforce one another, because in a community, none of these challenges exist in isolation.
Read our full storyFive pillars, one community model
Lasting change rarely comes from a single intervention. Our programs are deliberately interconnected — a healthier farm supports a healthier family, a protected forest supports a stable food system, and an educated young leader carries all of it forward.
Education & Youth Capacity Building
Equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and leadership platforms to drive change in their own communities.
Explore the programNature Protection & Biodiversity Conservation
Protecting and restoring the Congo Basin's ecosystems around Virunga through community-led conservation.
Explore the programSustainable Agriculture & Food Security
Building climate-resilient, food-secure communities through regenerative farming and agro-ecology.
Explore the programCommunity Health & Well-Being
Promoting holistic health for vulnerable communities, with particular attention to women and children.
Explore the programSocio-Economic Empowerment & Livelihoods
Opening pathways out of poverty through skills training, enterprise support and economic inclusion.
Explore the programWe don't parachute in. We co-design, then step back.
Every ACV program starts with listening. We work alongside local leaders, schools, farmer cooperatives and health committees to design solutions that fit the realities of fragile, conflict-affected contexts — and we build local capacity to carry the work forward long after a project ends.
- Youth leadership at every stage of design and delivery
- Gender equity and inclusion built into program targets
- Local knowledge treated as expertise, not an afterthought
Recent stories
Notes, milestones and lessons from our program teams in Goma and the communities around Virunga National Park.
Miti Alliance: pupils plant the next generation of forest
A school-based tree-planting initiative is turning playgrounds into nurseries and pupils into young conservationists.
Read the storyFrom one demonstration plot to a farmer-led network
How a single agro-ecology pilot grew into a peer-to-peer training network across three communities.
Read the storyCommunity health volunteers close the last mile
Trained volunteers are bringing basic maternal and child health information directly to households.
Read the storyThree ways to stand with ACV
Whether you have ten minutes, ten skills, or ten years of experience — there is a way to be useful.
Volunteer your skills
Share your expertise with ACV's youth teams — from agronomy to graphic design, remote or on the ground.
Get involvedPartner with us
NGOs, foundations and institutions: co-design a program, fund a pillar, or join a technical partnership.
Start a conversationSupport the work
Every contribution funds tree nurseries, school materials, clinic supplies and farmer training kits.
Ways to give