US faith influencers visit South Africa to highlight and strengthen global health partnerships
WASHINGTON — This week, Faithful Strategies convened a U.S. delegation of nine faith leaders and creators in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa to spotlight how faith-based organizations are driving progress in global health and poverty. The delegation visited non profits, youth centers, clinics, community centers, and more to meet with health workers, clergies, and community leaders that have helped facilitate important South African public health and social impact initiatives.
Many of the programs that the delegation visited are supported by U.S.-funded global programs, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
“Faith is not just a belief—it’s a blueprint for action,” said Michael Vazquez, founding partner of the Maiden Group and advisor at Faithful Strategies. “The programs we saw in action are not just policy triumphs—they were born out of shared moral conviction and have been sustained by the compassion of faith-led communities worldwide. I hope that our trip to South Africa will solidify and inspire the U.S. Christian community’s commitment to supporting global initiatives as an extension of our mission and faith.”
Nine content creators from across the country participated in the U.S. delegation in South Africa. Utilizing the influencers’ network of more than 20 million followers, the trip sought to amplify how faith-driven programs continue to advance health equity, provide critical care, and empower local leadership. The creators listened, learned, and shared how faith and compassion continue to guide South Africa’s work to strengthen communities and advance dignity for all people.
The delegation visited the following sites:
The Dream Center, Johannesburg
Phronesis Youth Development Hub
Anova Health Institute
Yeoville DOH Clinic
Sands Hotspot
Arise Ma-Africa Care Center
Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
Westlake Church Trust
Living Hope Ministries
“Visiting these communities in South Africa showed me that faith isn’t just in worship—it’s in the everyday care we give to one another,” said Kendall Mariah, an influencer from North Carolina. “The work I saw was real, it was relational, and it reminded me that we’re all part of something larger. When we show up, we don’t just make a difference. We become part of the story. And that’s why we serve, hope, and act.”
South Africa was once the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and now, the country represents one of the most significant public health turnarounds of the past two decades. This progress has been achieved through coordinated efforts among the Government of South Africa, international partners such as PEPFAR, The Global Fund, and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, and an extensive network of faith-based and community organizations. South Africa’s experience demonstrates how faith partnerships can strengthen national health systems, improve equity, and sustain progress against global health challenges.
“When churches and Christian communities open their doors to deliver medicine, or when a mother volunteers to care for her neighbors, that’s faith in motion,” said Carlos Whittaker, an influencer from Tennessee. “These turn into human stories of hope—not abstract policies coming out of Washington, D.C. South Africa shows the world what happens when compassion becomes structure and when the work of love is organized, funded, and sustained. That’s where healing begins.”
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Contact:
Jonathan Slovak
LSG
jonathan@teamlsg.com
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