TIDMVOD
Vodafone Group Plc
13 September 2021
NEW REPORT URGES INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT IN AFRICAN
PHILANTHROPY
FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL IMPACT
13 September 2021 - Hard hitting new research co-commissioned by
Vodacom, Safaricom and Vodafone Foundation suggests that the
sustainable development of the not-for-profit sector in Africa is
being challenged by an imbalance in international investment.
Foreign funding is predominately flowing to donor organisations
headquartered in the Northern Hemisphere rather than going directly
to the 90% of African civil society organisations (CSOs) that
remain dependent on it.
The in-depth report - Barriers to African Civil Society:
Building the Sector's Capacity and Potential to Scale Up -
highlights the multiple barriers preventing African CSOs from
operating at the same scale and capacity as local branches of
international non-government organisations (NGOs). The study aims
to provide a framework for engagement among key stakeholders to
strengthen and accelerate the role of African CSOs, which perform a
variety of services and humanitarian functions that bring citizens'
concerns to the fore.
Too often, only a portion of philanthropic funding from
international aid institutions reaches African CSOs, as it remains
trapped within bureaucratic processes and systems. When this aid
does reach the African continent, it is usually distributed among
locally registered international NGO counterparts, and then
allocated to African-led CSOs only for specific projects.
With these funding limitations, African CSOs are unable to
sustain resources and build long-term strategies for lasting social
impact. Along with administrative constraints, and negative
perceptions about African CSOs, this imbalance in approach to donor
funding is preventing African CSOs from being more effective,
self-reliant and, of course, helping the communities and citizens
they serve.
The report is an independent body of work funded by Vodafone
Foundation and developed by the Centre on African Philanthropy and
Social Investment, the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the
University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, and Clearview
Research. It is launched in partnership with African Philanthropy
Forum, which promotes homegrown philanthropy and inclusive
development on the African Continent.
Key recommendations of the report include:
-- Re-imagining donor-CSO relations, approaches and systems:
International donors must facilitate a level playing field for
local CSOs by re-imagining grant-making, rigorous guidelines and
procedures, organisational norms and management systems.
-- Creating a balance between core and project funding: CSOs
must be given sufficient funding and room to develop long-term
strategies so they can invest in non-programme critical issues,
such as securing resources, and improving their own financial
management systems.
-- Building the sustainability of local CSOs : In addition to
giving larger grants and providing core support, donors must make
conscious efforts to strengthen capacities of CSOs
While international donors must take concerted action to work
with African CSOs more fairly and effectively, the report also
calls for local organisations, research institutions and the
business sector to be more supportive in empowering CSOs.
"We have seen first-hand the significant contribution CSOs make
to social, political and economic development on the continent, but
these efforts continue to be hampered by the complexities of donor
funding. Through this research, we want to understand what is
standing in the way of the greater success, independence and
self-reliance of African CSOs, and what can be done to forge
meaningful, long-term partnerships that can bring about real and
lasting change in Africa," says Takalani Netshitenzhe, Director of
External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa and Chairperson of
Vodacom Foundation.
Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Chair, African Philanthropy Forum, says,
"Covid-19, among the host of new and existing challenges, has
emboldened some donor and NGO community leaders to confront gross
inequalities in the allocation and use of scarce financial
resources for impactful development. The time is perfect to disrupt
the old and establish development models that prosper and empower
communities."
Joseph Ogutu, Chief Special Projects Officer at Safaricom and
Chairman of Safaricom Foundation, says, "I've spent almost two
decades in this space and I know achieving positive change will
require improvements in the way that the international community
perceive African philanthropist organisations. As evidenced in this
report, we know there is a problem. This, therefore, is a clarion
call for various stakeholders to meaningfully engage to address the
inequalities and to find real-world actionable recommendations that
will enable the CSOs-in Kenya and Africa-to scale."
Andrew Dunnett, Director, Vodafone Foundation, adds, "One of our
long-standing partners, Shining Hope for Communities, asked
Vodafone Foundation to fund this research for the wider benefit of
the pan-African CSO community. In our 30th year of giving, our
ambition is to work with our philanthropic network to further
evaluate how donor funding is allocated to African CSOs."
To this end, Vodafone Foundation has committed to undertake
further research to better understand and find solutions to
overcome the challenges faced by African-led CSOs. This includes
investigating the creation of a new international standard for the
percentage of charitable funds that reach African-run organisations
and reviewing Vodafone Foundation's own funding processes
globally.
Vodacom, Safaricom and Vodafone Foundation will also continue to
invest in the digital transformation efforts of CSOs across Africa
through education, training, equipment supplies and financial
donations, while working with their partners and trustees to
articulate a five-year plan for tackling the issues of bias in
international aid.
View the research at www.raceandphilanthropy.com
- ends -
For further information:
Vodafone Group
Media Relations Investor Relations
GroupMedia@vodafone.com IR@vodafone.co.uk
About Vodacom
Vodacom is a leading African communications company providing a
wide range of communication services, including mobile voice,
messaging, data, financial and converged services to over 117
million (including Safaricom) customers. From our roots in South
Africa, we have grown our mobile network business to include
operations in Tanzania, the DRC, Mozambique, Lesotho and Kenya. Our
mobile networks cover a population of over 291 million people.
Through Vodacom Business Africa (VBA), we offer business managed
services to enterprises in 50 countries. Vodacom is majority owned
by Vodafone (60.5% holding), one of the world's largest
communications companies by revenue.
About Safaricom
Safaricom is the leading telecommunication company in East
Africa. Our purpose is to transform lives by connecting people to
people, people to opportunities and people to information. We keep
over 38 million customers connected and play a critical role in the
society, supporting over one million jobs both directly and
indirectly while our total economic value was estimated at KES
358.6 Billion ($3.58 Billion) for the 12 months through March
2021.
Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and with annual
revenues of over KES 250 Billion ($2.5 billion), Safaricom provides
connectivity through wide range of technology, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G in
aggregate covering over 99% of Kenya's population.
We run the world's largest mobile payment system and Africa's
largest Fintech - M-PESA, the world's first mobile money transfer
system. By empowering over 28 million customers to transact, save
or borrow money through their mobile phone, M-PESA has driven
financial inclusion in Kenya to more than 82% of the adult
population from a low of 25% and generates over KES 82.65 Billion
($826 Million) in revenue per annum.
Safaricom is an equal opportunity employer, actively recruiting
staff from different backgrounds reflecting the communities that we
serve. We are committed to equal gender representation at all
levels. Our target is to achieve 50:50 senior management gender
parity by 2025.
As part of our ongoing commitment to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), we continue to work towards improving energy and
resource efficiency in our network and facilities to reduce carbon
emissions and our fuel consumption. We remain committed to becoming
a Net Zero carbon-emitting company by 2050.
For more details please visit www.safaricom.co.ke
About Vodafone Foundation
Vodafone Foundation (UK registered charity number 1089625)
believes the power of connectivity can change lives and address
some of the world's most pressing problems. Founded in 1991 with a
simple mission to invest in the communities in which Vodafone
operates, today the charity connects people and ideas with
technology and funding, to help those already doing good work to
achieve results faster, more cost effectively and with a bigger
social impact. Through a strategy of Connecting for Good, Vodafone
Group PLC's philanthropic arm works in partnership with other
charitable organisations and NGOs to create solutions that bring
about long-term sustainable change and improve 480m lives by
2025.
www.vodafonefoundation.org
About African Philanthropy Forum
African Philanthropy Forum (APF) is a strong and vibrant
community of partners who through their strategic giving,
investments and influence, foster shared prosperity on the African
Continent. Established in 2014, APF was incubated by the Global
Philanthropy Forum (GPF) until 2017 when it became an independent
entity and continues to be an affiliate of the GPF. With a vision
to transform the culture of giving on the Continent to the extent
that it exceeds development aid by 2030, APF has established a
strong presence on the Continent, with footprints in fourteen
African countries. Since inception, APF has reached over 2,500
philanthropists, social investors and key stakeholders in the
philanthropic space across Africa and the world. Through APF's high
impact convening and initiatives, the organization has facilitated
collaborations, amplified the work of change makers and shared best
philanthropic practices and strategies for promoting homegrown
development.
https://www.africanpf.org/
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