The Africa Forward session for July took place on July 27th, 2023, with the theme “Translating Community Needs into Donors Speak.” Hosted by Luvoyo Rani, the co-chair for Africa Forward, and moderated by Danielle Tsamo of Catalyst 2030, the session brought together African stakeholders to discuss ways data-driven civil society organisations(CSOs) enable change-makers to effectively partner with governments, and other networks in order to address community needs while informing donors to understand said communities better and support impactful initiatives.
The session featured two accomplished socio-development specialists with over 15 years of experience:
- Rose Maruru, CEO and co-founder of EPIC-Africa an organisation at the forefront of designing systems to facilitate social innovators’ delivery, and
- Susan Njambi, CEO of Lusoma Advisory Services which supports institutions to build alternative ways of understanding and responding to social challenges and injustice.
Welcoming participants, Luvoyo Rani spoke about how Africa Forward serves as a vital platform for reshaping the African narrative and empowering changemakers in the region.
According to Rose Maruru, data is not just a collection of facts but an enabler of stories. By sharing data, CSOs can demonstrate transparency, accountability, and the impact of their work, thus fostering trust among their stakeholders. “Collaboration and partnership among CSO networks and funding stakeholders are crucial for collating and disseminating comprehensive data about the transformative work carried out across Africa” stressed Rose Maruru.
Susan Njambi emphasised the significance of measuring and evaluating CSO efforts not only as a requirement but also as a means to track impact and contributions to positive change in the community and Africa as a whole. The integration of learning into their work enables CSOs to appreciate the value they bring to the communities they serve, helping them adapt and improve their strategies effectively. Additionally, Njambi urged CSOs to articulate their social entrepreneurship activities in a language that highlights the economic value of their work, fostering recognition and support.
The speakers concluded by stressing the importance of how data and evidence from work done and how impactful it was to communities can serve as a powerful tool for CSOs to tell their stories, ensure accountability, and increase visibility to the public and funders in Africa
Africa Forward, an initiative of Catalyst 2030’s African chapters, aims to rewrite the narrative about Africa by focusing on five critical pillars: Narrative Shift, Ecosystem Development, Funding, Job Creation and Career Counseling, and Training and Capacity Development. The monthly sessions bring together key stakeholders to engage in essential discussions that shape and support social innovators and other players in Africa’s ecosystem. The next Africa Forward Session will take place in August 2023.
About Catalyst 2030
Catalyst 2030 is a fast-growing global movement of people and organisations committed to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) by 2030. Joining forces with communities, governments, businesses and others, Catalyst 2030 members are changing systems at all levels through collective action and bold new strategies. See more here: https://catalyst2030.net
