______________
BLOG
Commentary, opinion, and stories from across the SIVIO network on governance, civic life, and development in Africa.
-
A Return for Progress? A Glance at the Government of Malawi’s First Six Months Back in Office
A Return for Progress? A Glance at the Government of Malawi’s First Six Months Back in Office Written by Thokozani Galaffa and Eddah Jowah Introduction In Malawi, we started tracking government performance through the Malawi Citizens Watch Platform (2020-2025) when President Lazarus Chakwera was elected to office. After the 2025 elections, we continued to track the Government of Malawi’s performance, focusing on the new government under Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. This report provides insight into how the Government of Malawi has performed in the first six months since the elections. Background In a historic return to power, Malawians re-elected President…
|
-
Reflections from the Malawi–Zimbabwe Community Foundations Convening
Reflections from the Malawi–Zimbabwe Community Foundations Convening 18 – 19 February 2026 Nolwazi Ndlovu and Eddah Jowah There is something deeply inspiring about bringing people together across borders, especially people who are doing the slow, often invisible work of building Community Foundations (CFs) from the ground up. The Community Foundations of Malawi and Zimbabwe Convening held in Lilongwe in February was exactly that kind of encounter: honest, revealing, and full of practical wisdom. It was two days of listening, learning, and reconnecting with what community philanthropy looks like. However, the biggest lesson that came out of the meeting, especially in relation to networks, is that networks grow at different speeds, and…
|
-
The Big Bet: Rediscovering the Middle
In 2026, the big bet is on rediscovering the middle — not as a political position, but as a way of thinking rooted in compromise, consensus‑building, and Ubuntu. In a world marked by polarisation, elite capture, collapsing multilateralism, and widening inequality, the middle offers a path out of destructive “us vs. them” politics. It calls for collective moral courage, renewed deliberation, and a re-centring of citizens’ real concerns. The bet is that governments, businesses, and civil society can reclaim this middle ground to rebuild sustainable development, democratic legitimacy, and shared prosperity.
|
-
Stories from the We Are One Fund
Stories from the We Are One Fund The We Are One Fund is a homegrown lifeline created to keep Zimbabwe’s gender‑based violence response standing strong at a time when international support is shrinking. It brings together frontline organisations—legal advocates, shelters, girl‑empowerment initiatives, and emergency medical responders—whose stories in this documentary series reveal both the scale of the crisis and the extraordinary courage of those meeting it head‑on. From legal protection for women, to safe shelters, to healing services for survivors, the fund sustains the essential work that keeps communities safe and gives survivors a path to justice and restoration. These…
|
-
Policy Dialogue on Taxation in the Informal Economy
Policy Dialogue on Taxation in the Informal Economy On 9 October 2025, our country researcher Matron Muchena joined the policy dialogue on taxation organised by the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET). One important reflection came from the Director of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. She reminded us that the ongoing formalisation strategy now submitted to Cabinet for adoption is not merely about collecting taxes from the informal economy. Its deeper goal is to maintain order and accountability within it. Another compelling insight: while the informal economy contributes significantly to employment and household income, its exclusion from formal taxation systems…
|
-
What will it take to give?
“The act of giving is part of our DNA.” This is a claim I hear in many workshops and discussions, especially amongst my African colleagues. However, when I ask them to list causes they support, very few. We have the language and the tools, but we rarely use them. In many instances, our giving is confined to family circles. That is well and good, but these are usually family obligations. I am here to discuss giving within a community, or let me be bold enough and say giving to strangers. That’s what we mean by philanthropy. You were always going…
|
-
Tracking a Year of the GNU: Launch of the South Africa Barometer Report
Tracking a Year of the GNU: Launch of the South Africa Barometer Report We launched our report on the performance of South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) on Tuesday, the 16th, at the Origins Centre within the University of the Witwatersrand. The event was hosted in partnership with ACT Ubumbano, a network of Southern African and European organisations working towards economic, gender, and environmental justice. The South Africa Citizens Watch is an initiative of SIVIO Institute, produced under the African Citizens Watch platform. The report, Finding Their Feet: South Africa’s Government of National Unity, takes a close look at how the GNU has…
|
-
We Are One Tiripamwe Sisonke Fund
View this post on Instagram A post shared by weareonefund (@weareonefund) In Zimbabwe today, gender‑based violence is not an abstract statistic — it is a daily emergency. One in four women will experience violence in her lifetime, and behind every number is a woman whose life has been shattered, a family destabilized, a community shaken. And yet, even in the face of this crisis, Zimbabwe has built something extraordinary: a referral system that connects survivors to medical care, counselling, legal protection, and safe shelter. It is a lifeline — but it is a lifeline at risk. These services are stretched…
|
-
Stories of Change: $25 for 25 May Campaign
Stories of Change: $25 for 25 May Campaign To some, $25 might seem like a modest sum—barely enough for a dinner out or a few groceries. But for grassroots organisations across Africa, it can be the spark that ignites real, lasting change. During the $25 for 25 May campaign, dozens of local initiatives received donations that helped them take bold steps forward. These contributions helped transform cold concrete floors into restful nights, turned stigma into school attendance, brought medicine to the margins, and created safe spaces for girls to speak, dream, and lead. These are not stories of sweeping reform…
|
-
A Story of Change: The Girls Table’s Model for Meaningful Stewardship
A Story of Change: The Girls Table’s Model for Meaningful Stewardship The Girls Table continues to demonstrate how thoughtful, community-rooted initiatives can deliver meaningful impact with modest resources. With just $1,108 raised, the organisation was able to carry out a series of activities that directly benefited young women and girls in Tsholotsho and St. Peter’s, a peri-urban area of Bulawayo. Targeted gatherings were held to address menstrual hygiene and mental health, two areas often shaping the well-being and confidence of adolescent girls. The funds covered venue hire, transportation, and food supplies, ensuring that participants could attend comfortably and engage fully.…
|