our story

ABOUT US

Houston Against Violence

Bright Light Projects (BLP) was founded in 2012 through “Houston Against Violence,” a powerful musical solidarity collaboration written and directed by Jerry Cleo (DJ SKEEPEER). Born amid the Boko Haram attacks in Africa and the Boston Marathon bombing, this project, endorsed by Houston Mayor Annise Parker, united 28 artists from 25 countries to denounce violence and champion peace. Through music’s unifying power, we sparked creativity as a catalyst for social change and laid the foundation for sustainable development.

In 2015, BLP led the first diaspora-driven response to West Africa’s Ebola crisis with the Concert for Ebola Relief in Maryland, raising funds for Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps. In 2017, we deepened our commitment with the Africa for Ebola Orphans album—a four-country collaboration (Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone) amplifying over 12,000 orphans’ voicesand the Freetown concert, led by Executive Director Franco Bonghan, which delivered social therapy through music to five communities, healing survivors and orphans.

From these roots in music and humanitarian action, BLP has evolved into a force for lasting resilience. Today, we empower vulnerable youth and communities in Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Guinea-Conakry regions scarred by civil war, Ebola, and ongoing conflict—through trauma-informed programs that address economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.

The Foundation

Our flagship initiatives include:

Mend the Gap

(schooling and psychosocial support for Ebola orphans and survivors since 2016)

Girls Shall Rise / GSR

(gender-sensitive resilience for GBV survivors/Skills development and Entrepreneurship)

Young Men Entrepreneurship / YME

(Mentorship/Skills development and Entrepreneurship)

Reforesting Hope and Trees for Food

(land restoration and agroecology)

Village Savings and Loan Initiative

(financial inclusion for rural women)

VSLA Smart Agriculture Initiative

(Food Security and Livelihood support)

Our Environment, Our Future

(eco-education and sustainability)

These programs, built on direct support, capacity building, continuous monitoring, and strategic partnerships, have delivered measurable impact: training 5,000+ youth (60% girls), achieving 95% employment for 540+ GBV survivors, reintegrating 500+ orphans, restoring 100+ hectares of land, and boosting household incomes by 30% on average.

In 2021, BLP earned Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), followed by accreditations with UNEP, UNCCD, and IPBES, and observer status with the latter in 2025, recognizing our contributions to peace, human rights, economic development, international cooperation, and global sustainability goals.
At our core, BLP offers a hand-up, not a hand-out. By fostering skills development, entrepreneurship, and community-led solutions, we empower beneficiaries to become self-reliant leaders. From music’s unifying call in 2012 to today’s holistic programs aligned with SDGs and Agenda 2063, we remain committed to shared prosperity, one soul, one community, one song, one tree at a time.