Hello! My name is Shelly Satuku the Coordinator for the Centre for Philanthropy and Communities at SIVIO Institute. Welcome to our special issue on African Philanthropy. Our Centre for Philanthropy and Communities exists to foster philanthropy in its various forms across Africa. Our work initially focused on Zimbabwe, but we have since lunged into the region. We dream big, we dare to see the rise and expansion of African development enshrined in the concepts of African philanthropy. This year we are focusing on our “Big Bet”, casting the spotlight on engaged communities. We seek to enhance what people are doing within their communities. We also reflect on the work we have done to harness community philanthropy in Zimbabwe. As a think tank, we believe in evidence-based approaches to advocacy, based on sound research. We believe data always tells the story. Our research to understand community philanthropy from the community foundations’ lenses proved so. Our book on Community Foundations of Zimbabwe, unpacked some of the tremendous work community foundations do as well as highlighting their challenges.
The work in our centre seeks to address increasing poverty and inequality, limited coherence of policies across the philanthropy sector, and the challenge of increased dependency on external resources with limited leveraging of local resources. We have done this by leveraging technology and creating a digital giving platform, generating knowledge on the legislative space in Africa, and creating an index to measure the level of freedom of philanthropy environments in different African countries. This issue of the magazine is a focus on our thoughts and activities in the area of philanthropy and community activities.
The Power of Philanthropic Giving In African Communities
Over the years in Africa’s history of natural disasters, we have seen various forms of philanthropic giving playing a role in mitigating the effects of disasters. Philanthropy plays a vital role even in addressing day day-to-day socio-economic challenges faced by African societies. From poverty alleviation to healthcare advancements and education initiatives, philanthropy has the power to bring about lasting change in various parts of Africa. Based on the giving trends during the Covid 19 pandemic, it was quite evident that Africans have the ability to mobilise resources collectively to address a crisis or polycrisis. While community philanthropy is said to be the first respondent to mitigate challenges, we also acknowledge the giving by high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) when recognising philanthropy in Africa. Most of Africa’s HNWIs have played a pivotal role in augmenting the government’s efforts to address socioeconomic challenges in Africa. The various forms of philanthropy whether horizontal or vertical, have been known to address the following problems in their contribution towards development in Africa.
Addressing Poverty and Economic Development
There has been a rise in High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) on the continent. Most of them have started foundations as a vehicle for driving their philanthropic ventures. Addressing poverty and economic development on the continent has been of paramount importance for most as these have affected the progression of African countries even in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Philanthropy in Africa has been instrumental in combating poverty and promoting economic development. Through financial support and capacity-building programs, philanthropists have fostered entrepreneurship, created job opportunities, and empowered individuals to break the cycle of poverty. By investing in sustainable initiatives, such as microfinance projects and skills training programs, philanthropists have helped African communities build self-reliance and economic stability.
One of the many HNWIs providing transformative initiatives across Africa is Tony Elumelu chairperson of the United Bank for Africa. Through his Tony Elumelu Foundation, he empowers many Africans with entrepreneurial skills regardless of nationality. Since its inception in 2015, the foundation has trained more than 1.5 million Africans to venture into businesses that contribute towards economic development thus reducing poverty in the families of such successful fellows.
Improving HealthCare Access and Infrastructure
Philanthropy has made substantial contributions to improving healthcare access and infrastructure in Africa. Especially during pandemics, we have seen contributions to saving lives through the provision of healthcare facilities and medicines. Through funding medical research, building hospitals, and providing medical supplies, philanthropists have played a pivotal role in combating diseases and improving healthcare outcomes. Additionally, philanthropic investments in healthcare education and training programs have empowered local healthcare professionals, enhancing the capacity to provide quality care to underserved populations. In Zimbabwe and other African countries, we see grassroots organisations also taking centre stage in building clinic blocks for the provision of better healthcare in rural areas. More recently, a community in Gwanda district of Zimbabwe saw members mobilising resources internally to build a clinic. In some parts of the country, we see community Share Ownership trusts, leading community development work in the provision of healthcare facilities. A case highlighted in our Community Foundations of Zimbabwe book of Gwanda CSOT which facilitated the building of a clinic, classroom blocks, and many more developments shows the power community philanthropy and resource mobilisation has towards development.
