Charlize Theron Marks 20 Years of Africa Outreach Project With LA Block Party

Charlize Theron brought her Africa Outreach Project's 2026 Block Party to Los Angeles on Saturday, marking two decades of the foundation's work with young people in Southern Africa.

The Oscar-winning actor, who founded the organisation, described the gathering as a tribute to the community that has sustained the effort over the years. "I would say I'm most proud of the community that we've created and that's really a celebration that is part of tonight," she said. "It's the celebration of a lot of people here who've stuck with us for 20 years."

Theron said the foundation's programmes in South Africa depend on that support, both from those present and from partners working on the ground. "That community, the work that we do, or our partners on the ground do in South Africa, is impossible without this community here," she said, adding that she was proud of the longevity the effort had achieved.

Addressing the wider context for the foundation's work, Theron pointed to what she described as a difficult global moment for women and girls. "It's unfortunate that we're living in a time where femicide is very real," she said. "And we're living in a time where funding globally has been none to zero."

She argued that collective action was the only way to prevent those affected from being abandoned. "If it wasn't for us coming together, people will be left in the dark. People will die, people are dying," she said. "Some of us are lucky. It's a roll of the dice where you're born and the life that you're gonna have."

Theron also spoke about how she approaches philanthropy within her own family. She said she does not push her teenage children towards any particular cause, preferring to lead by example. "The worst thing a mom can do is try to put something on them," she said. "I try to live my life in a way as an example so that at least they can see what that looks like."

What she does insist on, she said, is awareness. "I demand, as a mom, awareness. I want my children to be aware outside of their bubble," she said, describing an effort to make engagement with the wider world part of the family's values. Where her children eventually direct their own philanthropy, she added, will be their decision.

The event featured Theron posing for photographs, giving interviews and dancing on stage.