Amani Global Works (AGW) is a health care organization operating on Idjwi Island in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that operates a hospital, multiple clinics, and a network of community health workers.

Deaths from childbirth and disease had reduced the life expectancy of island residents to 25 years; the founders, who are former residents, determined to use their medical and organizational training to improve health care for the people. ¹

AGW is backed by multiple foundations, part of a global health care coalition and claims to treat 75,000 people annually. ² In March 2022, it received a major gift from Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos. ³

Background

Amani Global Works was founded in 2010 by Jacques Sebisaho and his wife, Busime Mimy Mudekereaz, in response to the health crisis on Idjwi Island in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The couple founded the organization after data they collected showed a life expectancy of 25 years due to the island’s high maternal death rate and prevalence of preventable diseases and malaria. ⁴

Amani’s system consists of 12 clinics, 300 community health workers, and a 150-bed hospital used for the most seriously ill. AGW supplies community health workers with medicines to treat malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition, reaching nearly 99% of households on the island. A referral system for those requiring hospitalization includes issuing a token that pays for their transport to the hospital. ⁵

AGW has expanded the community health worker concept to mainland eastern Congo with 117 workers, but government restrictions have prevented the building of clinics or hospitals. ⁶

Funding

Amani Global Works’ major funders include the Segal Family Foundation, which has provided yearly grants since 2011; the Mulago Foundation, which supports poverty elimination in underdeveloped countries, since 2016; Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK), which typically funds startup nonprofit organizations, since 2021; and Praxis Labs, who funds nonprofits and for-profit startup organizations, since 2021. ^{7 8 9}

AGW is the recipient of a major gift in March 2022 from Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, along with 464 other recipients of gifts that totaled $3,863,125,000. ¹⁰

Coalitions

Amani Global Works is a member of the Community Health Impact Coalition, which consists of health organizations in more than forty countries that support community health workers. It is allied with multiple funders including the Clinton Health Access Initiative. ¹¹

The organization claims multiple partners including IZUMI Foundation, Against Malaria Foundation, Aspen Institute, Mulago Foundation, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Vitol Foundation, Segal Family Foundation, The End Fund, DakFoundation, and Ministere De La Sante. ¹²

Leadership

Amani Global Works co-founders Jacques Sebisaho and his wife, Mimy Mudekereza, are executive director and director of health programs respectively. Both are native to the island of Ijwi. ¹³

Mimy is also a clinical nurse manager in New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, while Sebisaho is a Bernard Lown Scholar in cardiovascular health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. ^{14 15 16 17}

The AGW board is headed by David Evans, a Columbia University professor emeritus, and actor Matt Dillon serves as a board member. ¹⁸

Finances

Amani Global Works reported 2018 revenue of $659,962 sourced from contributions and grants. Expenses were $724,509, with $314,463 going towards salaries and other compensation. ¹⁹

AGW net assets at end of 2018 were $528,934, down from $593,481 one year earlier. ²⁰

1. Works, Amani Global. “Amani Global Works.” Mulago Foundation. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.mulagofoundation.org/our-portfolio/amani-global-works.
2. ^[1] “Community Health Impact Coalition.” Community Health Impact Coalition. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://chwimpact.org/.
3. Scott, MacKenzie. “Helping Any of Us Can Help Us All.” Medium. Medium. March 23, 2022. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/helping-any-of-us-can-help-us-all-f4c7487818d9.
4. Works, Amani Global. “Amani Global Works.” Mulago Foundation. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.mulagofoundation.org/our-portfolio/amani-global-works.
5. “Our Model.” Amani Global Works. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://amaniglobalworks.org/model/.
6.  Denver Frederick. “The Innovative Way Amani Global Works Is Providing Healthcare to the Most Impoverished and Forgotten Areas of Africa.” Denver-Frederick.com. April 18, 2022. https://www.denver-frederick.com/2022/04/18/the-innovative-way-amani-global-works-is-providing-healthcare-to-the-most-impoverished-and-forgotten-areas-of-africa/.
7. Works, Amani Global. “Amani Global Works.” Mulago Foundation. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.mulagofoundation.org/our-portfolio/amani-global-works.
8. “Amani Global Works.” Segal Family Foundation. November 19, 2020. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.segalfamilyfoundation.org/portfolio-items/amani-global-works/.
9. “Amani Global Works.” DRK Foundation. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.drkfoundation.org/organization/amani-global-works/.
10. Scott, MacKenzie. “Helping Any of Us Can Help Us All.” Medium. Medium. March 23, 2022. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/helping-any-of-us-can-help-us-all-f4c7487818d9.
11. “Community Health Impact Coalition.” Community Health Impact Coalition. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://chwimpact.org/.
12. “Our Partners.” Amani Global Works. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://amaniglobalworks.org/partners/.
13. “Our Founders.” Amani Global Works. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://amaniglobalworks.org/our-founders/.
14. “Mimy Mudekereza.” Praxis. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.praxislabs.org/entrepreneurs/mimy-mudekereza.
15. “Mimy Mudekereza, FNPC-BC, Cen, RN – Co-Founder.” Linkedin. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mimy-mudekereza-fnpc-bc-cen-rn-8801bb176.
16. “Jacques Sebisaho.” Praxis. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.praxislabs.org/entrepreneurs/jacques-sebisaho.
17. “Jacques SEBISAHO, MD, MPA.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-sebisaho-md-mpa-180498182.
18. “Board of Directors.” Amani Global Works. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://amaniglobalworks.org/our-board/.
19. “Amani Global Works,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part I Lines 12, 17, 15.
20. “Amani Global Works,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part I Lines 22.