How Can I Get Involved With or Support CTAOP?
The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) offers several ways to support its work with young people in Southern Africa, and the right one depends on what you can give. If you want to contribute without a direct cash donation, the Olivela shopping campaign routes 20% of net proceeds from your purchase to CTAOP. If you want to explore all options, the "Get Involved with CTAOP" section of the website is the starting point. If you want to stay current or follow the impact of your support, CTAOP's Instagram is where updates are posted.
What CTAOP Does With Your Support
Knowing where support goes helps you decide whether and how to give. CTAOP describes its work through three pillars of impact:
| Pillar | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Health | Sexual and reproductive health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and reproductive health services for youth, aimed at breaking stigmas, expanding access to care, and cultivating a new generation of health advocates |
| Safety | On-the-ground initiatives to prevent gender-based violence, plus community, professional, and peer networks that help young people live free from violence |
| Community Leadership | Equipping current and next-generation leaders |
The organization frames this work around a simple premise, quoted from Charlize Theron on its site: "Young people have always been the drivers of social change. And this generation holds unique promise." CTAOP's stated goal is to strengthen the health and safety of young people in Southern Africa so they can use their power and potential.
Ways to Get Involved
Shop Through the Olivela Campaign
The most concrete option described on the site is the Olivela x CTAOP campaign. When you shop with Olivela, you can select CTAOP to receive 20% of the net proceeds from every purchase. According to CTAOP, those funds help provide young people with resources for their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Input: a purchase made through Olivela
- Action: select CTAOP as the beneficiary at checkout or through the campaign
- Expected result: 20% of net proceeds from that purchase go to CTAOP
This is a fit if you were already planning to buy something from Olivela, or if you prefer a purchase-based contribution over a direct donation. The site does not state any minimum spend or eligibility restrictions for the campaign, so check the Olivela x CTAOP page for current terms before relying on it.
Use the "Get Involved" Section
The website's "Get Involved with CTAOP" section is the hub for participation options. The homepage evidence confirms this section exists but does not enumerate every path inside it, so treat it as your first stop rather than a complete list. Expect to find donation and partnership information there.
Follow CTAOP on Instagram
The site surfaces a "Latest on Instagram" section, which is the channel CTAOP uses for ongoing updates. Following along is useful if you want to see programs in action before committing support, or if you want to share CTAOP's work with your own network.
Learn About the Youth Leaders Scholarship
CTAOP's Youth Leaders Scholarship (YLS) program is one of its flagship efforts. Each year, the YLS Leadership Summit brings together young leaders for leadership development, personal growth, and community impact. The most recent December gathering was the fourth annual summit, with Scholars nominated by local organizations for their passion and potential for change.
If you represent an organization working with young people in Southern Africa, this program is worth understanding — though the site does not publish nomination criteria or deadlines in the material available here, so contact CTAOP directly for specifics.
How to Decide Which Path Fits
- You want to give without a separate donation: use the Olivela x CTAOP campaign.
- You want the full range of options: start with the "Get Involved with CTAOP" section.
- You want to evaluate the work first: read the annual Impact Report and follow CTAOP on Instagram.
- You work with youth in the region: look into how Youth Leaders Scholarship Scholars are nominated.
A Practical Next Step
Read the 2025 Impact Report before you commit. CTAOP describes it as a look back not just at numbers and outputs, but at what the organization is seeing, hearing, and learning from the communities and organizations it supports. That gives you a grounded sense of what your support funds — and whether CTAOP's approach matches what you want to back.