Author: info

From the Pens of Write-hers: Reflections from the African Women Writing Retreat

Written by info on February 27, 2025. Posted in News.

The published stories of Africa and her people have been predominately framed through Western and often patriarchal lenses. This has resulted in the marginalisation of the perspectives and the misrepresentation of the voices of African women. The limited body of literature by African authors across genres presents an urgency for a landscape which is a more accurate representation and narrative of the societies that exists. While there has been a steady increase in such literature since the dawn of independence by African states, along with the growth of feminist politics in the continent, there remains a significant gap in the strides of progress which is evident when looking at literature used in mainstream media, found in public libraries, housed within academic institutions and wider society such as bookstores.

Addressing this gap and with the vision to bring a fresh and practical meaning to enablement, the African Women Writers’ Circle initiative was conceptualised to offer women working in the development sector with the physical space, professional guidance, and peer support that would enable them to honour their stories, document their memories and experiences, and put words to paper that would contribute to the library of literature written by Africans, for Africans.

Cohort members of the Women Writers Retreat

The Writers’ Circle was co-conceptualised by Korto Reeves and Masego Madzwamuse, both of whom are development sector writers, thought leaders, and practitioners with extensive backgrounds in advocacy, movement building, and development across the continent. Their vision was to create and curate a space that nurtured creativity, fostered healing, and amplified the voices of African women and gender non-conforming persons. Together they envisioned a programme that would bring women and gender non-conforming individuals together to navigate their experiences, tell their stories, and shape narratives. This vision is firmly rooted in the feminist ideals that view rest as an act of transformation and revolution, healing as a reclamation of identity, and respect for the knowledge and experiences that each woman tells.

“Don’t talk about writing. Don’t whine about writing. Don’t spend all your time obsessing over who wins what award. Write”
Nnedi Okorafor

The programmatic work of the Writers Circle began in 2024 with institutional support from the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) through its Adɔyɛ programme which focuses on the impact of women in African philanthropy, and the Nawi Eco-Feminist Collective, along with financial support from its partners. Following months of planning, consultation and curation, the first writing retreat was ready to be hosted. The retreat is envisioned as a space where invited writers would commit time to unfinished or idea-phase projects while being nurtured within a community that writes alongside them.

The Adɔyɛ programme, which focuses on the role and impact of women in African philanthropy, played a pivotal role in co-hosting the retreat, aligning with its commitment to centering African agency, knowledge, and lived experiences in philanthropic and intellectual spaces. Adɔyɛ, under the leadership of Thandi Makhubele, actively cultivates spaces for African women to document, share, and amplify their voices in ways that honour diverse philanthropic narratives, histories, and practices across the continent. Recognising that knowledge creation is a critical component of transfoyermative philanthropy, Adɔyɛ provided essential support in ensuring that the retreat not only nurtured creative expression but also contributed to the broader landscape of African women’s thought leadership and literary presence.

The first step in convening the retreat was to invite women from the continent and its diaspora, with the convenors thoughtfully considering ways to convene an inclusive space for a dynamic group of writers. The next step was to invite writing guides (or coaches) who had the expertise to work with the writers as a group and individually through the various themes, styles and techniques that would bring their stories to life. Finally, the convenors looked for a secluded physical space that would house the writers for an extended period, which also offered the resources necessary to tap into their creative potential.

The retreat programme included workshops and discussion sessions.

A cohort of 17 writers representing 15 countries from the continent and its diaspora confirmed their participation. From published authors to emerging development practitioners and leaders in the philanthropy sector, the cohort was a strong example of diversity in every sense of the word. The writing guides in attendance were renowned and award-winning authors Joyce Nyairo from Kenya, and Zukiswa Wanner from South Africa. Joyce is a columnist, essayist, and publisher who is known for her work that reflects on the intersection of politics, identity, and culture, while Zukiswa is a novelist, journalist, and publisher whose work whose writing brings readers of all ages into the lives of Africans across the continent.

The retreat was hosted at the Wits Rural Facility which is uniquely situated along the border of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces within a nature reserve. This location offered a secure and secluded environment which also provided modern amenities, making it conducive to a productive and memorable stay. With the location and participants confirmed, the daily programme of the retreat was thoughtfully designed to include space and time for group workshops, peer learning, individual coaching, individual writing, various forms of rest, and social time.

The Wits Rural Facility offered an environment for cohort members to immerse themselves in nature

In true progressive collaboration, Nawi, CAPSI and the funding partners allocated resources that ensured safe travel, accommodation and catering, and the provision of sufficient on-the-ground resources. They also provided inclusive administration which enabled all aspects of the retreat to be coordinated for a productive and memorable experience. As progressive institutions in their capacities, CAPSI and Nawi share a common vision of supporting efforts that will grow the body of work written by Africans and African women that contribute to inclusive development efforts.

“What we also know is that whatever the reason for the scant documentation (of the lives of women in the liberation movement), the result is that our written knowledge of their joys and struggles and their incredible resilience is regrettably undocumented and unavailable to future generations.”
Nozipho January-Bardill

The objective of the Writers’ Circle retreat was to contribute to growing the body of writing authored by women on the continent through a practical platform. The Writers’ Circle recognises the significance of re-politicising African women on and access to wellness, care and healing as vital elements of their work. Throughout the 12-day retreat, the writing guides conducted workshop sessions that covered topics such as:

Finding form
Feminist approaches to narrative structure
Defining elements of style
Rewriting and editing
Forms of publishing

Each of the participants used the time and guidance to immerse themselves in their respective projects, emerging with a piece of writing that will be developed through further support that the initiative has committed to provide. These diverse documentation of experiences and stories served as a powerful expression of African women reflecting on topics that contribute to the discourse and narrative on political and class struggles, economic justice, neoliberal hegemonies, and the many forms of violence; all of which urgently require a feminist lens as the world navigates several ongoing changes and new struggles.

In addition to the programme’s schedule, participants engaged in peer-led initiatives such as group walks, breathwork and meditation sessions, and evening readings, all of which strengthened the bonds of connection amongst participants. In addition to this, participants were invited as guests on the Conversation on African Philanthropy Podcast, a rapidly growing platform that profiles the voices of practitioners and contributors to philanthropy on the continent. Their participation will be published in a special series which will also honour their writing journeys.

Evenings included readings shared by cohort members

The culmination of this first retreat will be a published anthology that will be aptly titled “Eclectic Ululations.” This will be a collection of creative fiction, reflective non-fiction, poetry, and other creative forms that will celebrate the first cohort and accepted the invitation to write with boldness and courage. The title is a fitting tribute to the diverse stories and voices that will be contained within the anthology.

“For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism.”
Ama Ata Aidoo

The work of the African Women Writers’ Circle is set to continue, with plans for the second retreat for the first cohort and preparations for the second cohort in 2026 already underway. The vision for this initiative is bold, dynamic, and birthed at a time when the voices of African women are needed, now more than ever.

The Women’s Writers Circle acknowledges with appreciation the generous support of The Oak Foundation, TrustAfrica, CODESRIA, and the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), whose contributions have made this initiative possible.

Cohort participants

*Name*	*Country*
Agazit Abate	Ethiopia
Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi	Nigeria
Brenda Mofya	Zambia
Chulu Chansa	Zambia
Coumba Toure	Senegal
Crystal Simeoni	Kenya
Dierdre Williams	Trinidad & Tobago
Huguette Diakabana	Democratic Republic of Congo
Ingel Sabrina Clay	Liberia
Jackie Asiimwe	Uganda
Janet Mawiyoo	Kenya
Leila Hessini	Algeria
Lethumusa Kulube	South Africa
Masego Madzwamuse	Botswana
Nyamal Tutdeal	South Sudan/Ethiopia
Sibongile ‘Bongi’ Mkhabela	South Africa
Wame Kealeboga Mogopodi	Botswana

Reflections from our Post-Doctoral Fellows

Written by info on December 24, 2024. Posted in Alumni Stories, News.

Melody Mandevere and Tsele Moloi

Resilient Urban Communities (RUC)

The Resilient Urban Communities project is a collaboration that addressed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals “sustainable cities and communities” and “quality education” through research and dissemination of knowledge related to the subject areas “good governance” and “local government”. Encompassing a research, networking and education component, RUC aimed to improve urban supply systems and infrastructure for vulnerable groups in deprived local communities and enhance the governance of African megacities. The research programme of RUC focused on social enterprises (SEs) and nonprofit organisations (NPOs) as subsidiary social service providers and vehicles for participation and integration that contribute to the resilience of urban communities. CAPSI in partnership with three other universities, started the project in the last quarter of 2022.

Description	Achievement/s
Finalise writing RUC WP8 report (individual case report writing and cross case analysis	Final Work Package 8 report was completed at the end of May 2024 and sent to the funder of the project.
Pathway to Success II: Conference/Dissemination Event, PhD Seminar, and Meeting of RUC Partners at the Wits University	The PhD seminar and conference took place in Johannesburg in March 2024.
RUC Special issue publication workshop and conference held at Strathmore University	The RUC Special issue publication workshop and conference was held in October 2024 at Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya, where two papers from the RUC project were chosen for publication in January in The CAPSI Journal.

As the project comes to an end, the following activities are underway: Finalising the RUC projects’ two manuscripts journal articles for publication on the CAPSI’s International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment (IRPSI) Journal.

First Manuscript: “Ecosystem parameters and resilience of community-based social enterprises in a South African township: The case of Soweto” authored by Melody Mandevere and Jacob Mati.

Second Manuscript: “How to become a resilient community with the help of SEs and NPOs,” authored by Melody Mandevere, Tsele Moloi, Roselyne Cheruiyout, Nicole Göler von Ravensburg, Lauren Jankelowitz, and Hannah Sophia Krugmann.

Second Project: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) & WBS/CAPSI collaboration

The project is a collaboration between Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) & WBS/CAPSI to identify and unlock resources that will support the expansion and sustainability of urban forests and green spaces across African cities. CAPSI is currently undertaking research to address this critical gap by prominently featuring a cross-cutting theme on resource mobilisation for urban greening in African cities. The study seeks to bring out current trends, challenges, opportunities and stakeholders involved in financing urban forests and green spaces in African cities. This is done as a way of alleviating African cities’ struggle to secure adequate funding for urban forestry and other greening initiatives to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The research report will be prepared for presentation at the upcoming African Forum on Urban Forests taking place in Johannesburg in March 2025.

Tackling youth unemployment: The contributions of the nonprofit sector to African economies project

Written by info on December 24, 2024. Posted in News.

Wycliffe Ouma, Eleanor Chipeta and Dennis Osei

Thanks to a substantive grant received in 2023, our Centre has embarked on a project that aims to research and publish knowledge on the contributions of the nonprofit sector to African economies, with a specific focus on the creation of dignified and fulfilling work for young people living on the continent.

The project implementation is guided by five core interventions, namely:

Strengthening the project’s delivery capacity by setting the project’s implementation framework and recruiting personnel
Conducting research in 17 African countries and publishing findings
Education and training
Monitoring and evaluation
Communication and dissemination

Reflections on the Year

The past 12 months have been eventful for this project, seeing several dimensions executed and revealing significant progress alongside challenges. While the project has managed to recruit critical personnel, there have been challenges getting candidates for the Principal Researcher and the North Africa Regional Lead. Some of these challenges included policy restrictions, for example, targeted advertisements for female researchers under 35 years, as well as not getting the right fit for the positions. As a result, we had to shift to headhunting. The delays, while impacting timelines, emphasised the importance of flexible and proactive strategies for personnel recruitment for a project that is multi-country faceted.

Research of this nature entails making sure the vulnerable are protected and that all ethical considerations are taken into account. Not only did we get ethical clearance at our university, but we also made sure that all our partners in the 17 countries were cleared by the relevant authorities to conduct this research. The ethical clearance processes in different jurisdictions have highlighted the complexities of navigating diverse regulatory frameworks. While most countries obtained approval, delays persisted in others due to varying institutional and procedural requirements. These experiences underscored the necessity of localised approaches and consistent engagement with stakeholders to address context-specific barriers.

We also held two youth convenings in Kigali, Rwanda and Accra, Ghana. These meetings were instrumental in amplifying the voices of marginalised groups such as youth with disabilities, refugees, and rural participants. However, we learnt that logistical challenges, including visa issues and cultural restrictions on travel for women, demonstrated the need for us to be more comprehensive in planning to ensure equitable participation. The lessons from these convenings informed adjustments to future stakeholder engagements, particularly in accommodating diverse needs and barriers.

Given the focus of the project on young Africans, we tried to use young emerging researchers, and their inclusion in literature reviews proved both challenging and rewarding. Many reports required multiple rounds of revisions to meet quality standards, reflecting the need for sustained mentorship and capacity building. While these processes delayed some deliverables, they strengthened the developmental impact of the project by enhancing the skills of emerging scholars across Africa.

Another critical highlight was the stakeholder convening, held in Mombasa, Kenya. This gathering brought together representatives from governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and private sector players to deliberate on integrating research findings into practical frameworks for youth employment strategies. The convening reinforced the project’s commitment to collaborative engagement while identifying synergies for advancing the nonprofit sector’s contributions to youth employment. The meeting also provided an opportunity to introduce stakeholders to the project, seek their buy-in, and invite their participation during the actual data collection and later dissemination of the findings.

Managing partnerships across 17 countries presented further lessons. The breakdown of a partnership in one of the partner countries due to misaligned institutional values highlighted the importance of clear agreements and shared expectations from the outset. CAPSI responded by formalising processes for establishing Memorandums of Understanding before contracting. This ensures stronger alignment and trust in future collaborations.

The decentralised coordination model proved critical in managing these complexities. Regular meetings among regional leads and partners allowed for real-time problem solving and maintained progress across regions despite the challenges. These experiences reaffirmed the importance of effective communication, collaborative decision-making, and adaptive planning in a project of this scale and complexity.

Looking forward: What to expect in 2025

In 2025, the project will enter a critical phase focused on consolidating the progress made in the past years while delivering key outputs that align with its objectives. The completion of data collection across all 17 participating countries remains a priority, with surveys and qualitative interviews set to proceed in countries where ethical approvals have been secured. CAPSI will continue to work closely with local partners and regulatory bodies to finalise these approvals and maintain project momentum. As data collection advances, analysis will begin in the first quarter of 2025. These findings will contribute to the development of country-level and regional synthesis reports, which will undergo peer reviews and stakeholder validation workshops in the latter half of the year. These workshops will ensure that findings are both actionable and reflective of the diverse contexts represented in the project.

Education and capacity-building activities will also expand in 2025. The focus will shift to equipping PhD fellows with the capacity to excel in their academic journeys and contribute meaningfully to the research agenda. Fellows, drawn from diverse universities across Africa, will receive structured support to strengthen their expertise and outputs. CAPSI will ensure they have access to advanced training workshops, academic writing programmes, and platforms for presenting their work to peers and broader audiences. Methodology workshops, such as the annual CAPSI PhD Writing Retreat, will provide fellows with opportunities to refine their research tools, engage with experts, and enhance their methodological rigour. Conferences like the African Philanthropy Academic Conference will serve as platforms for fellows to present preliminary findings to foster a culture of scholarly exchange and critique.

Recognising the importance of mentorship, fellows will collaborate closely with supervisors at their respective institutions while benefiting from CAPSI’s oversight to ensure alignment with the broader objectives of the project. Advanced statistical and qualitative training programmes will be prioritised, building fellows’ capacity in data analysis using tools like NVivo, SPSS, and Stata. Structured programmes will expose fellows to peer-reviewed publishing, supporting them in drafting and submitting journal articles and conference papers. Fellows will also participate in field scoping exercises and pilot studies, gaining firsthand experience that strengthens their practical research skills.

Dissemination efforts will take centre stage in 2025, with regional policy convenings planned in East, West, North, and Southern Africa. These convenings will bring together policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and private sector representatives to discuss the findings and explore how nonprofits can contribute to national and regional youth employment policies. CAPSI will also host webinars to engage broader audiences, including youth-led organisations, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. The digital knowledge platform will be expanded to include interactive dashboards, reports, and multimedia content, making research findings accessible to a wide range of users. Short videos and reels will further amplify the project’s key messages while showcasing the voices of youth participants and highlighting actionable recommendations for addressing systemic barriers to youth employment.

Monitoring and evaluation will play an integral role in 2025, with the implementation of the framework being developed in collaboration with CLEAR-AA. This framework will facilitate a mid-term review to assess progress, identify challenges, and recommend course corrections. The focus will remain on tracking measurable outcomes that reflect the impact on youth employment and capacity building. Addressing challenges from previous years will also remain a priority.

Summary: Resilient Urban Communities Johannesburg Convening

Written by info on March 15, 2024. Posted in Events.

The Resilient Urban Communities (RUC) project exemplifies how collaboration can enable comprehensive and thoughtful research for development efforts. Recently, our Centre hosted the project’s convening in Johannesburg, South Africa, where we were joined by researchers, PhD students, social development practitioners, and other stakeholders.

The theme of this convening was “Social enterprises and non-profits as subsidiary social service providers and vehicles for participation and integration that contribute to the resilience of urban communities”. Delegates participated in an interactive programme which included panel discussions and dialogues hosted at Wits Business School, with keynote addresses from Frank Askwani of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) and Saliem Fakir of The African Climate Foundation. Delegates also visited social entrepreneurs based in Soweto township, Eikenhof Food Garden and Book Ibhoni Social Enterprise, and heard first-hand from 2 of the winners of the AspireHigher competition, who have continued to implement social transformation projects targetted at young girls in the community of Tsakane; Imbokodo Launchpad and Gratitude Project.

Reflecting on the milestones to date and outcomes from the convening, the project’s partners reaffirmed their commitment to their mandate which has been demonstrated through dedication to conducting research and disseminating knowledge. To learn more about the Resilient Urban Communities project, please visit www.resilient-urban-communities.eu

Resilient Urban Communities is a partnership between the Centre of African Philanthropy and Social Investment, Wits Business School, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR), Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Strathmore University, WWU Munster, Bauhaus University Weimar and the American University of Cairo.

CAPSI welcomes Visiting Researcher

Written by info on July 17, 2023. Posted in News.

From the months of July to September 2023, our Centre will host Tyler Dale Hauger from the Karibu Foundation in Norway.

Tyler and his family will be spending some time in the country with us embarking on a participatory grant making research project.

Innovative funding models have been emerging within the field of “participatory grantmaking” (PGM) (and in similar discourses within the #ShiftThePower, “trust-based philanthropy” and “decolonizing philanthropy” movements) where grantmakers (funders) involve non-grantmakers in funding decision processes.

Advocates of PGM and trust-based models argue that more participatory grantmaking models generate outcomes such as changes in participants’ agency, power, and leadership – and that it can act as a lever to democratize the field as a whole. In this sense, these models emphasize that the “HOW” of how funding occurs should receive the same attention as the “WHAT” of what receives funding.

Tyler will be interacting with other researchers, students, faculty and civil society organisations during his stay.

Please help us to give him a warm welcome with his family. We look forward to the research output and the fruit that will yield from his interactions with our network.

Reflections as Visiting Scholar

Written by info on July 17, 2023. Posted in News.

Through an ongoing partnership with Wits Business School (WBS) and the Canadian based Carleton University, the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) has offered a joint elective on Philanthropy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a faculty exchange programme with Carleton’s Masters in Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership (MPNL) programme.

This partnership commenced in January 2023, where the first cohort of African Philanthropy students got to partake in a joint module on philanthropy and SDGs with their counterparts from Canada.

The MPNL programme at Carleton is led by Prof Susan Phillips and earlier this year, twelve of their students took part in the SDGs module together with 9 students from the Masters in African Philanthropy programme. As an outcome of the partnership, Carleton University and the MPNL programme director hosted Dr Keratiloe Mogotsi, WBS lecturer and Programme Director of African Philanthropy short courses, from 1 June to 1 July 2023 as a visiting scholar.

The scholarship involved providing lectures, conducting research, engagement with students and faculty, and participating in speaking engagements for their 10-year anniversary of the MPNL programme. “We are excited about this partnership and the growth of the Masters in Philanthropy programme with international collaborators such as Carleton University. It is a tremendous opportunity for both institutions” says Dr Mogotsi.

“I am most grateful for the opportunity to interact with fellow scholars. My cup was filled to the brim surrounded by philanthropy giants like Prof Susan Phillips, Diana Leat, Micheal Moody, Charles Sellan and Masters of philanthropy and Nonprofit leadership scholars. I now understand the importance of a “sabbatical and how everyone needs a break from their environment every now and again to recoup, rejuvenate and be ready to face the world on renewed levels of energy to soar even higher. My roots have grown deeper in this process and I am ready to move up a notch and gear in this precious journey of life.”

WBS students studying African Philanthropy have the opportunity to co-learn and collaborate with their counterparts in Canada through this joint elective module in Philanthropy and Sustainable development goals, at a time when sustainability is of the essence globally. We are excited by the prospects of the partnership!

Women in African Philanthropy Initiative

Written by info on July 3, 2023. Posted in News, Newsletter July 2023.

Playlist

6 Videos

Jenny Hodgson

Lerato Mashianoke

Halima Mahomed

Bongi Njobe

Barbara Ibrahim

Thandi Makhubele

Women and women-led organisations continue to make a positive impact in underdeveloped communities, however women’s contributions are frequently overlooked, particularly those at the grassroots level that strive to raise critical funds and resources to improve their communities.

In response to the need for deeper and contextual knowledge, and to foster enabling networks using this knowledge, we have launched the Women in African Philanthropy Initiative as a vehicle where we will learn from and celebrate the historic, modern and emerging role that women play in philanthropy in the continent. This project is intended to give African women a platform to define and conduct their giving in their own way.

The Initiative will commission research and host engagement programmes and platforms that elevate women’s philanthropic participation across the layers of class, language, race, religion and nationality. Women in philanthropy from across the continent will be brought together to form a network and a space where their agency is respected and recognised, where they can interact and learn from each other, and where they can access opportunities to scale up their programmes and projects.

One of the Initiative’s projects will be to establish a hub that will heighten the visibility of women by bridging the gap in research and facilitate collaboration and networking for women’s giving circles. The hub will provide a platform for women to share their vision, work and strategy orientation among others.

Programme Manager Thandi Makhubele says, “The project is a powerful initiative that seeks to empower women as leaders and change-makers in Africa. We aim to build a more equitable and just society for all through our research, networking opportunities, and support for women-led initiatives. We believe that when women come together to give, they have the power to transform their communities and create a brighter future for generations to come. We invite all who are interested to join us in this important work.”

The launch of the initiative took place on Monday 29 May as a hybrid event. Click here to read the reflection of this event, and to watch the recording.

We are grateful to the women who generously shared their messages of solidarity to the vision of the Initiative. Click here to listen to these messages.

Meet some of our Associate Researchers

Written by info on July 3, 2023. Posted in Newsletter July 2023.

asabea ahwireng-Obeng

Emmanuel Kumi

Arsène Brice Bado

Asabea Ahwireng-Obeng

Asabea is a Finance and Investment scholar, with special interest in Bond Markets in emerging countries on the continent. This was the focus of her PhD research which she successfully defended at Wits University in 2016.

How did your association with the Centre start?

“My interaction with CAPSI began with my role as an assistant to Professor Emeritus Frederick Ahwireng-Obeng, who was the consultant charged with preparing the syllabus for the Postgraduate Diploma in Philanthropy at the Centre. This was a challenging task that required a lot of reading on philanthropy in general and relevant courses offered by leading institutions worldwide. By the end of the assignment, which was assessed by local and international stakeholders, I had become not only well drenched in the subject but also particularly interested in the philanthropy-finance and investment-African development interfaces. Since I started working with CAPSI, I have expanded the scope of my research interests to include philanthropy and development. This has resulted in some of my work being published in prestigious international journals. One of my studies, titled “Macroeconomic determinants of sovereign bond market development in African emerging economies”, was published in the International Journal of Emerging Markets and the Journal of African Business. I have three papers published by the Centre and I accept frequent requests from continental journals to serve as a reviewer.”

How are you using the experience gained in your own country?

“I am currently involved with a newly established international educational NGO whose research and consulting interests in philanthropy-related themes on Africa complements my work at CAPSI. I am also working on three papers for co-publication with Professor Ahwireng-Obeng. My interaction with the Centre has elucidated the intricate and unique roles that philanthropy plays in finance and investment. I have since developed a deep appreciation of the discipline; particularly where African development is concerned.”

What advice would you give someone looking to get into the philanthropy and development sector?

“My advice to anyone contemplating working in the philanthropy and development areas is that the prospects are great but will require an entrepreneurial mindset that is willing to explore and innovate.”

Emmanuel Kumi

Emmanuel is Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy at the University of Ghana whose research interests are in African philanthropy, civil society organisations, NGO management, civic space, lobby and advocacy as well as the political economy of development. He holds a PhD in International Development from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.

Please highlight your journey where African philanthropy is concerned.

“My research has focused on civil society organisations and their resource mobilisation. I am interested in exploring how these organisations mobilise alternative resources, including African philanthropy, to ensure their short-term survival and long-term sustainability especially in countries experiencing a decline in external donor funding. My interest in African philanthropy is also informed directly by my association with CAPSI. I have been involved in research projects on African philanthropy such as mapping African philanthropic organisations and the role of African philanthropy in responding to COVID-19 and development goals in Africa.”

How has your association with CAPSI helped you in this journey?

“My association with the Centre has created an opportunity to network with other scholars working on African philanthropy and civil society organisations in general. This helps in sharing knowledge and ideas on the subject.”

How are you ploughing back the knowledge you have gained/are gaining in your home country?

“I have been leading some research projects and discussions that seek to promote knowledge on African philanthropy in the context of Ghana and other African countries. I believe this will help in contributing to the emerging literature on African philanthropy as well as information that is relevant in influencing policymakers and national development.”

What advice would you give someone looking to get into the philanthropy and development sector?

“Anyone interested in philanthropy should be motivated by passion.”

Arsène Brice Bado

Arsène is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and International Cooperation at the Centre for Research and Action for Peace (CERAP)/Jesuit University in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire where he also teaches political science and international relations. His research interests include democracy, ethnic pluralism, conflict analysis, forced migration, electoral processes in conflict-ridden societies, and philanthropy.

Please highlight your journey where African philanthropy is concerned.

“My interest in philanthropy started when I was in primary school where I volunteered to raise funding for cultural and sporting activities. I continued to participate in fundraising activities in high school and university. But it was only during my master’s degree studies in Social Ethics and Theology at Boston College that I had the opportunity to take a course in communication and fundraising. This course allowed me to reflect on my previous fundraising activities and philanthropy. In 2010, I was appointed to lead the Jesuit Office of Development of the West Africa Province whose mission is to raise funding and coordinate communication toward actual and potential benefactors. In this capacity, I visited other Jesuit offices of development in different provinces in the USA and received practical training on how to communicate with philanthropists and philanthropic foundations. In addition, during my doctoral studies in political science and international relations, I researched on topics such as philanthropy, humanitarian aid, foreign aid toward developing countries, postcolonial states and development assistance, which led to my dissertation titled ‘Foreign Electoral Assistance as a Tool for Peacebuilding in Post-Conflict Societies’.”

What influenced your decision to work with the Centre?

“The fact that philanthropy is an important activity in most African societies. However, the subject remains largely understudied in academia. Most publications on philanthropy in Africa were produced by non-Africa-based researchers and research institutions. Therefore, there’s a need for African scholars to take the challenge of philanthropy in Africa seriously and share their own locally sourced research on the issue. I was excited to learn about the existence of CAPSI through the Carnegie Corporation of New York. To my knowledge, CAPSI is the only Africa-based research centre on philanthropy. Because of this, I am honoured to be a research associate for the Centre, and I hope to contribute to the research on philanthropy in francophone African countries.”

How does your professional role tie in with the Centre?

“CERAP is a teaching and research institution focused on social sciences. As such, philanthropy is a relevant topic for the institution. Undeniably, the practice has played an important role not only in alleviating human suffering, but also in socio-economic development, the evolution of science, and development of culture and the arts. Philanthropy has also emerged as an indispensable practice alongside the action of public authorities and private companies. That is why my work and research at CERAP is consistent with my commitment to my work at CAPSI. I hope that the Centre will help develop a research unit on philanthropy in francophone countries at CERAP to foster interest in the subject by francophone researchers.”

How are you using the experience and knowledge you are gaining in your own country?

“Thanks to CAPSI, I have undertaken an important survey on philanthropists and philanthropic foundations across five francophone countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Gabon and Chad. More importantly, philanthropy is now taught in my courses at CERAP, and students can write their papers on the topic. I hope that this will foster their intellectual curiosity where this subject matter is concerned and that a community of researchers interested in philanthropy would emerge in the coming years.”

What advice would you give someone looking to get into the philanthropy and development sector?

“My advice would be to take the specificity of each society seriously while dealing with issues related to philanthropy and development. As a phenomenon of society, the modes of expression and organisation of philanthropy are profoundly marked by the cultures of the societies in which they unfold. That is why several studies are needed to map out and understand philanthropic practices in diverse African societies to find the best ways to harness philanthropic practices for the development of our societies. Therefore, I encourage African researchers and policymakers to give more attention to philanthropy, which could be a way to take care of our problems using our own resources.”

From the Desk of the Director

Written by info on July 2, 2023. Posted in Newsletter July 2023.

We are already halfway through the year. Time flies. In another six months, 2023 will be history. I am happy to share some of CAPSI’s success stories, as well as those that have challenged us since the beginning of the year.

We started the year with exciting news of the awarding of a grant of $7.8 million by the Mastercard Foundation to research the contributions of the non-profit sector towards creating dignified employment for young Africans. The project will be implemented in 17 countries over a 5-year period. The details of this project were highlighted in an official press release, with many of you sharing positive and encouraging feedback to this news. The work of this project has begun, and I encourage you to participate and share these opportunities to participate within your youth-focused networks.

Staying with donor engagements, we recently hosted the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and took them on a reflective journey of how the Centre has grown through their generous and pioneering support. This was one of several visits that the Foundation has made to the Centre since our inception, with this visit hosting senior directors and the deputy director. Mott Foundation is one of our main donors and has supported the Centre from our founding days. Our Centre also received generous early support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation, who were later joined by the Open Society Foundation, who recently awarded the Centre a tie-off grant due to the institutional changes within the broader Open Society Foundations network.

As we undertake our work, we continue to collaborate with like-minded institutions such as TrustAfrica, Africa Philanthropy Network, African Philanthropy Forum, East Africa Philanthropy Network and Southern Africa Trust, among many others. Jointly with these partners, we will hold the 2^nd African Philanthropy Academic Conference and the 4^th African Philanthropy Conference in the cities of Dakar and Saly in Senegal, respectively. I invite you to register to attend the conference by visiting the official conference website where, you will also find information on the past conferences.

It has been more than five years since the Centre was established. We worked with an external evaluation agency to look at our journey so far and gather meaningful lessons from our progress. You can learn more about the Evaluation Report. I will be happy to receive your reactions to the report. This process will help us to continuously sharpen our interventions as we grow. There are several observations that need our attention, for example, how we fully embed ourselves into the Business School, as well as raising adequate resources from African sources. These and many other observations are areas that we will work on knowing that they are not as simple as they may appear – however, we are determined to make sure that at some point, we are fully embedded in the Wits Business School and that our sustainability is not dependent on foreign sources or any others, for that matter.

We are also excited that our academic programmes are gaining wider recognition. In 2023, we are looking forward to the graduations of four doctoral graduations and two masters. This will take the number of doctoral graduates from our Centre to nine (bear in mind that this is since inception – barely six years ago), and the masters by Research graduates to four. We are also expecting nine graduations by the end of the academic year of masters students by coursework. We are in our second cohort of Master of Management in African Philanthropy students and preparing to welcome the third cohort of students for the Postgraduate Diploma in African Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation. In addition to academic programmes, we have held several customised masterclasses for various clients ranging from universities and NGOs, to governmental and intergovernmental agencies. We will be happy to work with you if you require a customised module that speaks to your area of focus or addresses specific organisational needs.

I am also excited to invite you to read our growing body of publications. We declared 2022 as our ‘Year of Publications’, and we met our objective by publishing articles and reports focused on the African philanthropy, social investment and related fields. Visit our website to read our open access material and our YouTube channel to watch related webinars such as Research Spotlight Series and Academic Publishing workshops whose contents have been beneficial for both emerging and seasoned researchers.

We also recently published our first book focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on philanthropy, civil society, and the corporate sector. The book will be available soon on open access. Meanwhile, we will hold several launch events and give you an opportunity to hear directly from the authors. In addition, we are working on our second book focusing on the barriers to civil society in Africa. We recently held a convening on this theme, which we will share recordings.

The Conversations on African Philanthropy Podcast continues to grow and cover some important ground. Please take some time to listen to our conversations with different actors in the sector. Over the next couple of months, you will be hearing perspectives mainly from East Africa. Most of these episodes were recorded at the recent East Africa Philanthropy Network Conference hosted in Zanzibar. Our hope is to cover all regions. We are therefore planning to record guests from West and Central Africa at the upcoming 4^th African Philanthropy Conference in Senegal.

There are several other activities that make us want to do more. Read about these and many more in this edition of the newsletter. As I sign out, always remember to CAPSI it…

Bhekinkosi Moyo