Star for Life is a non-profit organisation working to strengthen the self-esteem of children and young people and motivating them to invest in their education, take care of their health, and make wise life decisions. 

The idea for Star for Life was born when Christin and Dan Olofsson started a business project in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. They soon noticed how the staff, including the young people and their children, were affected by HIV and AIDS. The devastating consequences of the disease led the Olofssons to start a project at a local school, Siphosabadletshe High School. The children were given support and tools to prevent infection and to invest in studies and entrepreneurship, and they were encouraged to take themselves and their health seriously. It is this idea and this method that Star for Life still utilises today. 

During the years, Star for Life's work has changed somewhat in its focus. Antiretroviral treatment has proved successful and, although it does not completely eliminate the virus, it reduces the amount of virus to much lower levels, which means that mortality is reduced. This means that the acute situation we saw previously, with high mortality among the children's parents, does not exist in the same way. Star for Life's focus has therefore partially changed from being a dedicated AIDS project to being an organisation that works with motivational work and health-promotion among young people. Regarding the HIV problem it should be emphasised that the drugs that have been developed do not cure the patients. Therefore, HIV/AIDS information remains an important part of our programme.

We are currently working in 120 schools in South Africa, Namibia, and Tanzania, where our coaches follow the students through their schooling and where mobile health clinics work with outreach testing, healthcare, and counselling. More than 500,000 pupils have benefited from the Star for Life programme in this way. In addition, our Daughters of Africa Girls Clubs, where tomorrow’s female leaders and entrepreneurs are formed, are located in 66 schools in southern Africa.

Through collaborations, the organisation has grown, and is now also active outside Africa. In Sweden, Motivationslyftet by Star for Life has existed since 2013, and Star for Life Ukraine and Star for Life Jerusalem were launched in 2022. In addition, there are fundraising foundations in Sweden, Norway, and Germany working to find more sponsors and further develop our partnerships. 

Read more about Star for Life  in the yearbook