The Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA) focuses on four key areas of activity: governance and accountability, justice and human rights, media and access to information, civic engagement, and public health. It works to support civil society in east Africa by awarding grants, developing programs, and bringing together diverse leaders and groups.

Lack of government accountability remains a major challenge in the region. To address the endemic corruption that hinders political and economic development, the initiative works to increase access to information and the capacity of independent media, helps community groups monitor government budgets, and assists environmental organizations in advocating for more equitable and transparent natural resource use policies.  

OSIEA supports work to defend and promote the human rights of marginalized and disadvantaged communities, particularly those facing statelessness. The initiative has also addressed war crimes and human rights violations stemming from the long-running conflict in northern Uganda by working to strengthen support for measures to bring war criminals to justice. To address women’s rights violations in the region, OSIEA supports projects that aim to improve state responses to sexual violence and raise awareness of gender discrimination.

The HIV epidemic remains an unprecedented public health and human rights emergency in the region, thriving on stigma and discrimination. The initiative works with OSI’s Public Health Program to promote a rights-based approach to health care, help people living with HIV/AIDS to advocate for their needs, improve palliative care, and campaign against legislation to criminalize HIV transmission.

A new project launched by OSIEA seeks to increase communication and participation of civil society groups with the African Union and bring wider attention to issues such as statelessness and unfair election practices.