5 Flagship Initiatives
8 Arts Disciplines Funded
100% Funded Surgeries & Screening
1yr Pan-African Exchange

Culture is a gift.
So we give back.

Black Meets World was built on the belief that African stories deserve a global stage. But the talent behind those stories doesn’t emerge from nowhere — it’s nurtured in classrooms, clinics, farms, studios, and community fields across the continent.

Our CSR initiatives are how we reinvest in that foundation. We fund the artist who can’t afford training, the student who dreams beyond their borders, the farmer feeding tomorrow, and the patient who simply needs care. This is purpose, made tangible.

Five ways we
give back.

African performers in vibrant costume at a cultural celebration 01
Arts Scholarship

BMW Around the World

For the young artists carrying culture forward.

A scholarship for art-inclined young adults who showcase exceptional talent. From the rhythm of traditional drumming to the discipline of fine art, we invest in the creative voices shaping African culture — and give them the means to take their gift to the world.

Disciplines Supported
  • Contemporary African Dance
  • Traditional African Dance
  • Drama
  • Drumming
  • Sculpting
  • Painting
  • Fine Arts
  • Liberal Arts
A smiling African woman farmer holding a basket of harvest in her field 02
Agriculture Grant

BMW Young Farmers Scholarship

Cultivating Africa’s food security and climate resilience.

A grant for young agricultural and weather enthusiasts in pursuit of agricultural knowledge, application, and growth. We back the farmers, agronomists, and climate thinkers who will feed the continent and steward its land for generations to come.

Areas of Focus
  • Agricultural Knowledge
  • Weather & Climate Science
  • Practical Application
  • Sustainable Growth
African schoolchildren in a classroom, one raising her hand to answer 03
Education Exchange

BMW Young Readers Scholarship

A year of African learning, beyond borders.

A scholarship and exchange program for secondary and university students to study for a year in another part of Africa. Students immerse themselves in the continent’s stories, sciences, and languages — returning home with a wider sense of what it means to be African.

Areas of Study
  • African Literature
  • Mathematics
  • Languages
  • Science
  • Arts
A health worker checking an African woman’s blood pressure at a community clinic 04
Care & Research

BMW Health

Funding care today — and the cures of tomorrow.

BMW Health works on two fronts: delivering life-changing medical care to those who need it most, and funding the research that will redefine what care looks like for the next generation.

Care & Screening

Fully funded spinal surgeries, emergency services for cancer patients, and free breast and prostate cancer screening — removing cost as a barrier to treatment and early detection.

  • Fully Funded Spinal Surgeries
  • Cancer Emergency Services
  • Free Breast Cancer Screening
  • Free Prostate Cancer Screening

Research & Palliative Care

A scholarship for traditional-medical research into palliative remedies in hospice care for cancer patients, alongside dedicated research into a cancer cure.

  • Trado-Medical Research
  • Palliative Hospice Remedies
  • Cancer Cure Research
Two young African footballers with a ball on a community pitch 05
Sport & Games for Good

BMW Play

Where play becomes purpose.

Charity football matches and the African games we grew up with — ayo olopon, ludo, and tire keke — turned into a force for good. Every year, the proceeds are committed to a different cause, so the impact keeps moving where it’s needed most.

Where Proceeds Go
  • Rural Street-Light Program
  • Support for Prison Inmates
  • Women’s Health
  • Keeping Kids in School

Each year’s commitment is different.

From application
to impact.

01

Apply or Nominate

Submit an application or nominate a candidate, community, or cause through any of our five initiatives. Applications open on a rolling basis each year.

02

Review & Selection

An independent panel of artists, educators, clinicians, and community leaders reviews every submission on merit, need, and potential for lasting impact.

03

Funding & Support

Selected beneficiaries receive full funding, mentorship, and ongoing support — from scholarship stipends to surgery costs to community project delivery.

04

Stories & Accountability

We follow each journey and publish the outcomes. Every cause we back is reported transparently, so our community can see exactly where support goes.

“You cannot tell the story of a people while ignoring the people. The same hands that shape our culture deserve to be lifted — fed, healed, taught, and heard.”
— Oladunni Odunewu, Founder, Black Meets World

Everything you
need to know.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility varies by initiative. Arts and farming scholarships are open to young adults across Africa; the Young Readers exchange is for secondary and university students; BMW Health programs are open to patients and researchers regardless of background. Each initiative lists its own criteria when applications open.

How are beneficiaries chosen?

An independent selection panel assesses every application on talent, need, and potential for lasting impact. We deliberately keep the panel diverse — spanning the arts, education, agriculture, and medicine — so no single perspective dominates.

Does it cost anything to apply?

No. Applying to and benefiting from any BMW CSR initiative is completely free. We never charge application, processing, or administrative fees.

How is BMW Play different each year?

BMW Play raises funds through charity football matches and traditional African games. The proceeds are committed to a different cause every year — from rural street lighting to women’s health — so support reaches where it is needed most at that moment.

How can my organisation partner with BMW?

We welcome partners who share our values — NGOs, hospitals, schools, and cultural institutions. Reach out through our contact page and our team will explore how we can collaborate.

Every story we tell
gives something back.

Partner with us, nominate a beneficiary, or support an initiative. Together we can turn culture into lasting change.