Yabonga Children's Project was founded in 1998 by Ursel Barnes and Ulpha Robertson. The initial project supported women running creches in their backyards, by introducing an educational programme to better prepare children for formal schooling. By 2001, Yabonga was introduced to the plight of pregnant women who believed their deaths were imminent. In 2004, the first of twelve Yabonga HIV Support Centres was opened on the premises of a community clinic. In 2006 the programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children was launched with 35 children. By 2021, the number has grown to 1200.