The Ford Foundation Office of West Africa (OWA), in collaboration with PaTiTi Consulting, has convened its first edition of the African Philanthropy Dialogues in London to discuss alternative approaches and strategies for addressing the rising issues affecting Africa’s philanthropy community.
Conversations at the convention centred on opportunities available to Africans in the diaspora to create sustainable and lasting change in Africa’s philanthropic landscape; especially in recent times when foreign donor funding to African civil society organisations (CSOs) is increasingly dwindling, and when more than ever there is a need to partner with local CSOs and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to create the needed impact in various sectors of Africa.
Speaking on the proposed roadmap toward Africa’s philanthropic success, Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, Regional Director-Ford Foundation OWA, said the foundation is eager to have a conversation with Africans in the diaspora to get them thinking about their approach to giving and whip-up their interest for addressing development challenges in Africa.
ChiChi stated that one key point of discussion is figuring out how to encourage people in the diaspora to consider carrying out their philanthropic work through local CSOs in Africa.
“We find these local CSOs to be very effective in delivering the needed change we envision for Africa; because they are closer to the communities, understand the issues, have built networks in the communities and with governments, and possess cross-cutting measures to tackle developmental issues in much cheaper ways,” she said.
Theo Sowa, keynote speaker for the conversation and former Director-African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), said Africans present at the event must redefine their concept of philanthropy to create the needed sense of ownership in the continent’s philanthropic space.
“Philanthropy is a part of us! That is why we have to be intentional about how we carry out philanthropy and how we speak about it, so that it is more relevant to our communities. It is time we all see each other as philanthropists because we hold the power to make a difference in the lives of others through our resources, time and service.”
Mrs. Sowa said the only way Africans can address issues back home is by investing in projects and initiatives – and move away from the distrust storyline trumpeted among Africans. She explained that: “We have to get out of the mindset and narrative that we cannot trust ourselves as Africans to address our own issues. If we do not trust ourselves, we won’t even be alive. Back home, we have countless examples of organisations making the needed difference through philanthropic initiatives”. For her, these are testaments to the great work that can be done with the right support.
“Our continent is currently faced with various challenges and struggles, but it has continued to thrive because we have passion, drive and faith as a people. Therefore, let’s work together through your funding so that we can see the transformation we want on our continent,” she added.
The fireside chat with Adam Heal, Director-Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, Senior Programme Officer-Ford Foundation OWA, presented participants with real-life experiences on how diasporan funding through local CSOs can make the needed change.
Adam Heal shared SDN’s practical processes in aiding with the crafting of extractive policies to help change the lives of people living in the Niger Delta region who have been affected by effects of the oil-extraction era.
In a panel discussion, moderated by Innocent Ischei, Director-ACIOE Associates, on the theme ‘Sustainable Philanthropy: Creating Lasting Impact’, panelists Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, Regional Director-Ford Foundation OWA; Dr. Chukwuka Monye, Managing Partner-Ciuci Consulting; Imma Ndey, People Leader-Accenture; and Kenny Washington shared practical lessons from their activities and initiatives in addressing some of Africa’s social and economic issues, and the hurdles they continue to encounter within the funding and philanthropy community which sometimes stifles the progress of their projects and initiatives.
Closing the session, panellists charged participants present to actively play a part in redefining philanthropy in Africa by trusting the men and women back home putting their expertise to work creating the needed change.
ChiChi stated that the Ford Foundation is passionate about creating a more sustainable philanthropic community for Africa, and is currently showcasing this through initiatives such as the foundation’s local philanthropy engagements and match-funding.
Additionally, the office is in discussion with the Lagos Business School to design a capacity-building initiative for philanthropists and heads of their Foundation to develop curriculums that align with their organisational needs.
The African Diaspora Philanthropy Dialogues is an initiative under the Ford Foundation OWA’s Sustainable Philanthropy Dialogue series, which seek to strengthen philanthropy’s ecosystem of support by creating necessary conditions for philanthropy to thrive and address the mode of cooperation between stakeholders, define the expectations from each other and define the anticipated challenges and solutions that will move Nigeria and Africa closer to achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
