Philanthropy conference set for June in Zanzibar
Legal Services Facility (LSF) executive director Ms Lulu Ng’wanakilala speaking to the press announcing this year's 8th East Africa Philanthropy Conference
Dar es Salaam. Legal Services Facility (LSF) has partnered with regional stakeholders to host the eighth East Africa Philanthropy Conference at Zanzibar, in June this year.
According to LSF’s executive director Ms Lulu Ng’wanakilala, the conference provides a platform for sharing experiences, and collective reflection, as well as the curation and development of philanthropic and social tools and investment practices for the continent’s people and partners.
In a joint statement issued yesterday, LSF revealed that the conference held with the theme ‘Systems Transformation: Catalyzing Collective Action’ will be conducted from June 28th to 30th, 2023.
East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) Chief Executive Officer, Mr Evans Okinyi noted that this could not be more befitting as the sector is gripping with systems transformation in an effort to co-develop responsive philanthropic practices.
“No matter which way we look at it, the sheer complexity and interconnectedness of the global crises require a complete overhaul of not only how we do things, but also how we understand them. In other words, they require a systems transformation approach that is very much about empowerment,”
“By empowering especially those that seemingly have no say, we also look at how we can shift the mindset, so that something that seems impossible at a certain stage, all of a sudden becomes possible,” he added.
The board chair, Ms Jacqueline Asiimwe underscored that seeking systems change typically calls for solidarity with a diverse group of stakeholders that can harness each other’s strengths and learn from each other to accelerate the desired transformation.
“Too often, the only thing that philanthropy is really interested in is the front line of change, which is where the symptoms of the crises that we’re feeling are,”
“But unless we collectively dig out and recode the boring bits, such as accountability, how we drive resources, how we build the innovation capacity of the system, and how we build trust, the system then doesn’t really change, we just do front-end symptom resolutions,” she said.
Established in 2003, the East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) formerly the East Africa Association of Grant-makers (EAAG), is a voluntary membership organization that brings together local charitable trusts and foundations in East Africa.
