Setso Project aims to strengthen communities in Botswana by connecting non-governmental organizations and community development projects with the generous support of international donors. Our in-country staff work directly with small community-level initiatives to identify core needs that are overlooked by major donors. We aim to be the first line of funding and technical support for critical health, education and development initiatives that address the compounding assault of poverty and HIV/AIDS.

The original concept for Setso Project was inspired by the founder’s experience volunteering with grossly under funded community-based organizations in Botswana in 2005. The intention was very simple: to set up a mechanism through which individual donors could cost effectively give directly to critical HIV/AIDS and community development initiatives in Botswana.  We wanted to focus on the power of intimate, personal connections as a tool for engaging donors in local issues as far away as Southern Africa.  

Setso Project has developed over the course of the past three years through conversations with non-governmental organizations in Botswana and with the founder’s friends and colleagues. In 2007, Setso Project received 501c3 sponsorship from Innovations for Poverty Action, allowing donors to make tax-deductible contributions. Setso Project now has two in-country directors who work directly with communities and organizations to identify funding needs and to brainstorm program ideas. Unlike many larger donor organizations, Setso Project operates on the ground in the communities it supports. Learn more about our team and how we operate.