Mbabane – The Global Fund has strengthened its partnership with the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO), awarding the organisation USD 10.3 million (approximately E200 million) under Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) and formally positioning it as the partner of choice for civil society-led HIV interventions in Eswatini.
The new grant, a 60% increase from the previous USD 6.3 million under Grant Cycle 6 will fund the Halting the Spread of HIV and Reversing its Impact in Eswatini project running from October 2024 to September 2027. It prioritises HIV prevention among adolescents and key populations, as well as care and treatment support for adolescents living with HIV.
Under the strengthened partnership, CANGO which held its 38th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, will continue working with established implementers, including Baylor (for adolescents living with HIV), Health Plus 4 Men (for key populations), and World Vision Eswatini (for adolescent girls, young women, and young men). The GC7 grant retains a strong community systems strengthening component, featuring community-led monitoring, HIV treatment literacy, and interventions on gender and human rights.
CANGO’s elevation as a trusted partner is seen as a major milestone reflecting its improved governance, capacity, and credibility among both government and development agencies. This recognition builds on its growing strategic influence, including the successful convening of the Directors’ Forum with the Ministry of Finance, a meeting that established a permanent engagement platform on critical regulatory issues affecting NGOs such as taxation, anti-money laundering, and counter-terrorist financing risks.
Despite a tight funding environment, CANGO has also strengthened internal systems across the NGO sector through targeted capacity-building programmes. To ensure long-term sustainability, it has begun consultations with members on increasing contributions to establish a Capacity Building Fund. The fund will support emerging NGOs to strengthen governance structures, while providing specialised support to mature organisations to meet evolving development demands.
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