Development Knowledge Link – Africa (DEVLINK)

Development Knowledge Link – Africa (DEVLINK) is committed to the promotion of human rights for the underserved grassroot women, girls and children with special emphasis on health, education and livelihoods. Our vision is a healthy, empowered and a just society.
Our mission is to promote sustainable livelihoods and well being for underserved women, girls and children through partnership and innovation.
Core values are integrity, efficiency, commitment, innovation and respect for human rights.
As an organization, economic empowerment is the entry point to the community, because economic independence is the solution all the challenges of
health, education and livelihood. Until a community is empowered economically, it will not be easy to achieve any development goal.

DEVLINK's special sauce is threefold: they are people-centered, community-driven, and forge partnerships with other stakeholders in the community.
We are engaged in several Frontline human rights programs geared towards health promotion, access to education, entrepreneurship and employment creation. DEVLINK supports women, 0rphans and vulnerable children living with HIV/Aids through viral load suppression, household economic strengthening to reduce vulnerability, support highly exposed adolescents living with HIV and advocate for skilled deliveries to reduce HIV transmission at birth. We also strengthen food security to address nutritional needs of people living with HIV/Aids. We have learnt that HIV/Aids is closely related to gender based violence, and sexual partner violence poses direct threat of HIV transmission. We therefore advocate for prevention of gender based violelence and assist survivors to access to justice. Involvement of men is very important in addressing gender based violence, therefore DEVLINK works with men as community champions for prevention of violence.
DEVLINK supports orphans and vulnerable children with school fees, scholastic materials and school uniforms. We also engage them on sexual reproductive health education/awareness.
The organization engage women/ caregivers in economic empowerment activities through skills training and provision of business seed fund. Skills training include tailoring and dress making, food and beverage production, weaving, jewelery, beadwork, pottery, waste paper recycling, shoe making and many others.
The women are also involved in community group savings and internal loaning which allows them to access low interest loans to expand their businesses. This enables them to contribute to household income and address health needs of their families.
The organization also runs community health care facility bringing healthcare services closer to the community. The purpose of this facility is to ensure that most at risk population access health care services.
Any support directed to DEVLINK will keep HIV positive children in school and will improve their nutritional needs to grow up healthy like any other child. This support will also keep the girl child in school by providing sanitary towels and other basic needs.
The support will also support women living with HIV through business and employment creation this eliminating gender based violence.