I recently had the pleasure of participating in the African Philanthropy Forum conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from October 27-29. This year marked the conference’s eighth iteration, centered on an inspiring theme: “A New Agenda for African Philanthropy: Catalyzing Funding to Accelerate Africa’s Transformation.”
Over the two days, the energy among participants was incredible. We were excited, challenged, and motivated by powerful calls to action, each focused on expanding African philanthropy’s role in driving change across the continent. The conference brought together an impressive array of voices and perspectives, including philanthropists, academics, organizations like ours, donors, and government leaders.
It was an honor to speak at one of the plenary sessions, titled “The Role of Philanthropy in Revolutionizing Education in Africa.” I joined distinguished panelists, including Dr. Nada Berrada from the Education Development Center, Mr. Boris Bulayev from Educate!, and Ms. Roselyn Odoyo from the Mozilla Foundation. The session was skillfully moderated by Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi from the Alliance for Women and Girls. Together, we discussed the importance of innovative approaches in African education.
During this session, I had the opportunity to share the work Geneva Global and our sister organizations in Ethiopia and Uganda are doing to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in education: reintegrating out-of-school children into formal education. Our Speed School program provides youth another opportunity to learn through accelerated education, giving them a path back into the formal school system. This model has the potential to address the learning gap affecting so many children in Africa.
I shared my vision for a future where African philanthropy plays an even larger role in reshaping education, urging African philanthropists to think boldly and ambitiously in tackling major challenges in education and beyond. While smaller, localized efforts are essential, we must also scale our solutions to create a far-reaching impact.
Our session had a fantastic engagement. Many attendees were curious to learn more about Speed School and Geneva Global’s work supporting African youth. Additionally, I was interviewed by Morocco’s national radio station, SNRT, where I shared insights on the importance of African philanthropy for the continent’s development.
Reflecting on the conference, I feel deeply encouraged by the dedication of African leaders and philanthropists to bring about real change. African philanthropy is indeed moving in the right direction, but to make a lasting impact, we need to accelerate our efforts—much like the approach we take with Speed School.
Learn more about Geneva Global’s Speed School program and its impact in Uganda and Ethiopia.