African Youth as Trailblazers
Will the Next Einstein be African?
Youth, Image & Innovation: Togo's unique 3D Printer 
 2015 Conference: Continuing the Conversations 
On the Horizon: Upcoming Events
Responsive Philanthropy: Ebola
Resources and Membership
An Update from the Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group - June 2015
#AGAG2015

 

Missed the Conference? Check out the agenda for  discussions and speakers you missed, see photos and follow the conversation on Twitter here.  

 

Follow AGAG on Twitter @agagafrica 

Youth, Image & Innovation

Mahen Bonnetti, founder and CEO of the New York African Film Festival, opened the 2015 conference with trailers of African films that demonstrated the diversity among youth who are telling unique, but universal stories. She noted the Internet's role as a platform where African youth can tell their own story in their own way.

 " My Africa Is" features an online documentary series
created to expose a balanced side of Africa to an online audience.         
The segment below features the innovation of Sename Koffi Agboginou, an architect and anthropologist from Togo and founder of Woelab (French) where the only 3D printer made entirely of electronic waste was created.    
 
 
New 2015 Members
 
MasterCard Foundation supports education, skills training and financial services in sub-Saharan Africa and recently awarded  $25 Million for STEM education to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in South Africa. 
 
 
The Other Foundation is a newly established LGBTI community foundation for Southern Africa.


 
The 11th Hour Project, a project of the Schmidt Family Foundation, connects organizations with good information on how to develop a more responsible relationship with the world's water, energy and good resources. 
 
The Value of Networks

AGAG believes that a strong network of informed and connected funders is a necessary ingredient for robust, effective and responsive philanthropy benefiting African communities. 


Responsive Philanthropy  

EBOLA

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa underscores the need for philanthropy to respond to immediate and long term needs.

Although the infection rate has slowed (but not stopped) it appears that the Ebola crisis is off the
radar of the media and philanthropy. But African communities still struggle to cope with its impact.

WHO outlines the four biggest lessons in 2014 and what needs to happen in 2015.

Read the June 2015 WHO Ebola Situation Report.
African Youth as Trailblazers....

 

The 2015 conference theme of "Generation Next: Young People Shaping Africa's Future" put the spotlight on youth as a lens to examine issues ranging from education to human rights to gender equity to the post-2015 agenda.   

Over 40 grantmaking organizations from seven countries were represented.

Africa has the world's youngest population and the term "youth" covers a wide age range from 15 to 35.  While acknowledging the diversity among communities and across African countries, unemployment, access to education and health care, social equality and engagement in the political process emerged from the discussions as cross-cutting concerns that must be addressed to leverage the potential of Africa's current and next generation.

Philanthropy has a role to play and the conference ended with a challenge to funders to engage in the same intentional collaboration and partnership they so often encourage the organizations they support to do. 

Tendai Murisa
During the conference we spoke with Tendai Murisa of TrustAfrica about how philanthropy can help leverage the potential of "generation next" in Africa.

Check out what he has to say about youth as "trailblazers."
Will the Next Einstein be African?

Among the conference speakers was Dr. Nkem Khumbah, Executive Curator of the Next Einstein Forum. The session on "Investing in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for Africa's Youth" encouraged philanthropy to support STEM training and capitalize on the potential of the "youth bulge" and growing economies in Africa. Below he discusses STEM in Africa.




Conference Conversations Continue....
AGAG's annual conference offers invaluable "face time" and a chance to engage in the nuanced discussions that can only happen in person. Read three blog posts that  reflect on the discussions.   
 
Karen Colvard of the H.F. Guggenheim Foundation in the @Alliance blog post "International funders make way for African grantmakers" continues the conversation on the growth of philanthropy in Africa and the opportunity for international grantmakers to work through local institutions and actors. 

In "Using Video Advocacy to Engage Vulnerable Youth Populations" Rachel Reichenbach and Ida Girma of Arabella Advisors discuss the conference session on youth, message and media that featured case studies by Accountability Counsel and WITNESS.


Niamani Mutima of AGAG in the @Alliance blog post "African youth: there is no single story" reflects on how African youth are using film to tell complex stories that mirror their lives and concerns and the need for 'depth and nuance' in funding in Africa. 
On The Horizon - Keeping Connected
Save the Dates & Stay Connected - Regional Meetings

Mark your calendars for these upcoming smaller regional meetings highlighting current trends and topics of interest to grantmakers funding in Africa. Open to funders only and registration is required. Sign up here if you are a grantmaker interested in attending one or all of these meetings.

AGAG Regional Meeting - Johannesburg
hosted by the Ford Foundation  
July 8, 2015  
 
AGAG Regional Meeting - San Francisco
hosted by Arabella Advisors
October 19, 2015 

AGAG Regional Meeting - New York
hosted by the H. F. Guggenheim Foundation
October 21, 2015
Funder's Toolbox - New Resources

Africa Progress Report 2015: Power, People, Planet: Seizing Africa' Energy and Climate Opportunities explains why 2015 is a pivotal year for Africa and the bold steps necessary to turn a potential crisis into an opportunity. 
 
Communication That Counts: Lessons From South African Social Investors by GrantCraft

Africa's Wealthy Gives Back: A perspective on philanthropic giving by high net worth individuals in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa by TrustAfrica and UBS. 

For more resources visit  Browse Our Resources 
for podcasts, videos and publications on grantmaking in Africa.   

Got a resource to recommend?  Email us at contactus [at] agag.

Sign Up & Stay Connected
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Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group  1875 I Street NW, 5th Fl.  Washington, DC 20006