CorpsAfrica - Ethiopia

CorpsAfrica was founded in 2011 by former Peace Corps Volunteer Liz Fanning with the idea of turning community development in Africa over to local changemakers. During her own service, Liz was approached by young Moroccans who wanted to be Peace Corps Volunteers so they could help people in their own country, but she had to tell them it was only for Americans.

That exchange sparked the idea for an organization built on the simple belief that young Africans are the catalyst for lasting growth in Africa. Building on the enormous success of the Peace Corps, CorpsAfrica offers a similar transformative experience to young Africans, giving them the chance they deserve to be a part of the solution and to find their place in the world.

By training highly educated young Africans to help local communities identify and solve their own challenges, CorpsAfrica is shifting Africa’s development sector from reliance on external aid to empowering and strengthening its most valuable asset: its people. Inspired by the Peace Corps model, CorpsAfrica Volunteers are trained and posted to live in remote villages for up to one year to facilitate small-scale, high impact projects that are identified by local people.

Since launching its first program in Morocco in 2013, it has expanded to 10 countries across the continent and aims to expand to all 54 of Africa’s countries in the next ten years. To date, CorpsAfrica has hosted hundreds of volunteers across Morocco, Senegal, Malawi, and Rwanda, who have completed over 800 projects, including building wells, schools, roads, and irrigation systems; establishing literacy programs; and supporting vegetable and livestock farms.

CorpsAfrica Volunteers prioritize community engagement to build resilience so local people are better prepared to weather crises, recover from setbacks, and thrive. Through their service, the Volunteers also undergo a transformative experience that helps to shape their view of the world and prepare them for personal and professional success.