Starfish Greathearts Foundation is an international non-governmental organisation formed in response to the tragedy of children orphaned or left vulnerable by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa. Its mission is to help make a difference to the lives of these children through community-based organisations working at grassroots level. This enables individual communities to develop their own solutions to the challenges they face. As of January 2009, Starfish projects reach more than 36,000 children in 120 communities across South Africa.