In the corridors of the Serena Hotel in Kigali, between sessions on ‘Agile Philanthropy’ and panels on building cohesion and adaptive funding, I found myself grappling with a profound question that seemed to pulse beneath every conversation: What does it mean to practice emancipatory philanthropy that refuses to die in the face of systemic oppression?

The theme of ‘Adapting to economic, social, and political shifts’ felt almost too modest for what was actually unfolding in those three days. This wasn’t just about adaptation; it was about reimagining philanthropy as an act of resistance, a refusal to accept that African potential should remain perpetually unrealised.

The Struggle of Those Who Refuse to Die

Provocateur-in-Residence, Brian Kagoroy’s interventions from the start of the conference struck me most powerfully when he spoke about philanthropy not being about funding. His words echoed Frantz Fanon’s assertion that ‘each generation must discover its mission.’ But what is our mission with emancipatory philanthropy in this moment of global uncertainty?

Listening to conversations about trust-based philanthropy, justice-rooted philanthropy, and impact investing, among other critical topics, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were dancing around something much more fundamental. The real potential of African human capital isn’t just underutilised; it is actively suppressed by structures that philanthropy often inadvertently reinforces.

Brian’s insights on pan-African impact investing effectively illuminated this tension. While celebrating the growth of local investment vehicles and the localisation of aid, the underlying question remained: Are we truly decolonising capital, or are we simply creating more sophisticated versions of extractive relationships?

Defining Prosperity Beyond Colonial Frameworks with Emancipatory Philanthropy

During one particularly charged breakout session on control and co-creation, a participant posed a question that stayed with me: ‘What does African prosperity look like when we define it for ourselves?’

This isn’t merely an economic question; it’s a question about imagination and self-determination. The emphasis on green energy investments and climate adaptation funding, while necessary, often comes packaged with conditions that mirror colonial patterns of resource extraction. The compensatory investments being made today in renewable energy and climate resilience must grapple honestly with the colonial enterprise that created these crises in the first place.

Read the full article about emancipatory philanthropy by Ayat El-Dewary at Alliance Magazine.