Content: Exploring philanthropic initiatives, thought leadership contributions, and social impact projects by individuals and organisations in Africa. Highlighting efforts towards education, healthcare, and societal betterment
Philanthropy is so vital. It has the power to accelerate progress where it’s needed most and support the causes that can fuel real change in the world. This benefits people, the planet, and society as a whole. This article highlights philanthropy, leadership, and social impact in Africa.
The Philanthropic Initiatives
The Philanthropic Initiatives (TPI) is a non-profit advisory team that designs, carries out, and evaluates philanthropic programmes for individual donors, families, foundations, and corporations. Since it was founded in 1989, TPI’s goal has been to help clients invest in their own values, communities, and societies for maximum impact.
Philanthropic Initiatives
Dangote Foundation (Nigeria): Aliko Dangote founded Dangote Group over 30 years ago and has turned his enterprise into the largest business conglomerate in West Africa, with a market capitalization of $15.5 billion. The Dangote Group is the largest private employer in Nigeria. Mr. Dangote invests in 18 African countries, creating jobs and economic value across the continent in a range of industries.
A leading global philanthropist, Aliko Dangote, has set up the largest foundation in Africa with an endowment of $1.25 billion. Locally focused but globally minded, the Dangote Foundation is at the forefront of improving the nutrition, health, and education of Nigerians. He is passionate about lifting the most vulnerable people out of poverty through economic empowerment.
The Foundation is a leading contributor to the ‘Saving One Million Lives’ every year in Nigeria initiative. The Dangote Foundation was at the vanguard of containing the spread of Ebola in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The Foundation was the biggest private contributor to the African Union Ebola Trust Fund, with a donation of $3 million.
This foundation focuses on health, education, and economic empowerment, making substantial contributions to community development.
Strive Masiyiwa Higherlife Foundation (Zimbabwe): The Higherlife Foundation is a social impact organisation that invests in human capital to build thriving individuals, communities, and sustainable livelihoods. Founded by Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa in 1996 out of their deep Christian faith, heartfelt compassion, and personal experiences of orphanhood, they are contemporary Africans moving the African continent forward through opportunities.
This foundation prioritises education, healthcare, and technology to empower African communities, with a particular emphasis on providing scholarships and improving access to quality education.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy has the power to influence lasting social change. When an organisation receives support, a ‘ripple effect’ takes place. Many lives are touched, potentially for generations.
Philanthropy can be looked at as one of the cornerstones of a stable society. When people come together to help others, whether by donating money or time, it is a reminder of what it means to be human. And from there, communities grow stronger.
TPI also encourages a positive climate for philanthropy and actively promotes effective giving through our work with community foundations, regional associations of grantmakers, and others.
Thought leader
This has been described as an individual or firm recognised as an authority in a specific field.
Thought Leadership Contributions:
Thulisile Madonsela (South Africa):
Madonsela’s strong leadership presence has contributed to her success, professional standing, and the impact she has on the political sphere. Helping other women develop their own signature presence is a cornerstone of the Women in Leadership programme at the UCT GSB. De Wet says that despite the fact that many studies have shown that greater gender diversity is good for businesses, improving all aspects of company culture and ultimately translating into profits and greater productivity, women are still underrepresented at the top tier of business and government.
As the former Public Protector of South Africa, Madonsela is known for her advocacy for constitutionalism, human rights, and anti-corruption efforts, contributing significantly to thought leadership in governance.
Chinua Achebe (Nigeria):
Chinua Achebe, widely considered the grandfather of modern African literature, has died at the age of 82. His popular book, Things Fall Apart, tackled the effect of colonialism on Africa and has sold more than 10 million copies. Host Michel Martin is joined by NPR Africa correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arctonto look back on his life and work. Achebe was known as the voice that brought and defended Africa to the world. To learn more about his life and legacy.
The late Chinua Achebe, through his literary works, has been a thought leader, challenging stereotypes about Africa and offering profound insights into the continent’s history and culture.
African Innovation Foundation:
The African Innovation Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. It aims to support and recognise innovative initiatives that contribute to the continent’s development. Notable initiatives include the Innovation Prize for Africa, which celebrates ground-breaking innovations.
This foundation encourages thought leadership by supporting inventors and entrepreneurs working on impactful projects.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation:
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is an African foundation, established in 2006 with one focus: the critical importance of governance and leadership for Africa. It is our conviction that governance and leadership lie at the heart of any tangible and shared improvement in the quality of life of African citizens.
Focused on governance and leadership in Africa, this foundation provides a platform for discussions on political and economic challenges, contributing to thought leadership in the region.
Social Impact Projects:
Ushahidi (Kenya):
Originally developed to map reports of violence in Kenya, Ushahidi has evolved into a global non-profit technology company, creating open-source software for information collection, visualisation, and interactive mapping.
Also, Ushahidi is a global not-for-profit technology company that develops integrated tools and services to enable people to generate solutions and mobilise communities for good. It builds its open-source software with the intent of strengthening communities and improving lives, empowering users to rapidly and purposefully gather, analyse, respond, and act on data and information, thereby empowering communities to advance social change through accessible technology solutions.
Since its founding in 2008 as a tool to monitor and map post-election violence in Kenya, Ushahidi’s crowdsourcing tools have been used by thousands of groups and millions of people to raise voices, inform decisions, stop suffering, and influence change.
Maarifa Foundation (Ghana):
Maarifa Foundation was founded in 2014 to create an education holding company that would serve citizens and countries across Africa. It provides high-quality, accessible, and market-relevant higher education through investment in private universities.
Maarifa is passionate about serving its university partners, the students and alumni of those universities, their faculty, and their staff. It also aims to serve the communities and countries in which the universities operate. It believes that through these partnerships, it can help transform Africa into an economic and intellectual powerhouse. This feat is based on the strength and knowledge of its people, its sheer size and scale, and the vastly untapped resources that all Africans deserve to share.
Focused on sustainable development, the Maarifa Foundation engages in projects related to education, healthcare, and environmental conservation, making a positive impact on communities in Ghana.
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Education:
ALA (African Leadership Academy):
By developing talented youth into great leaders for the continent, the African Leadership Academy is a vital part of Africa’s transformation.
ALA is a South African institution that identifies and develops young leaders across the continent, fostering their growth through education and leadership programmes.
Bridge International Academies:
This organisation operates in several African countries, providing affordable and quality education to underserved communities.
Healthcare:
Partners in Health (PIH):
Active in countries like Rwanda and Lesotho, PIH focuses on providing quality healthcare to marginalised communities, addressing both infectious diseases and healthcare infrastructure.
Amref Health Africa:
This organisation works to improve health in Africa by partnering with and empowering communities, emphasising preventive measures, and providing healthcare education.
Societal Betterment
The Tony Elumelu Foundation: Founded by Nigerian entrepreneur Tony Elumelu, this foundation supports entrepreneurship and business development across Africa, contributing to economic empowerment.
Safaricom Foundation:
Operating in Kenya, this foundation engages in various community projects, including healthcare initiatives, education support, and technology-driven solutions for societal progress.
Philanthropy in Africa is marked by impactful initiatives across diverse sectors. Notable organisations, such as the African Philanthropy Forum, focus on thought leadership to drive systemic change. Efforts in education include initiatives like “Teach for Nigeria,” aiming to enhance educational outcomes. Healthcare projects, like the Gates Foundation’s investments in health infrastructure, contribute to improved well-being. These endeavours collectively showcase Africa’s commitment to societal betterment through strategic philanthropy and thought leadership.
