FOR AFRICA CHILDREN

Masana wa Afrika, which translates to “The warmth of the sun embraces Africa,” is a foundation dedicated to providing grants and capacity-strengthening support to communitybased organisations serving children in Africa. This initiative is a significant departure from the traditional approach to philanthropy, where funding often focuses on large-scale projects and institutions. Instead, Masana wa Afrika is committed to empowering local communities by supporting grassroots organisations that are closest to the needs of the children they serve.

By Lorraine Kinnear

The foundation’s roots can be traced back to The ELMA Foundation’s Community Grants Program (ECGP), which was established in 2012. Over the course of a decade, ECGP invested in 112 African community-based organisations across 13 countries, providing critical funding and support to help them grow and thrive.

In 2023, ECGP decided to spin out and establish Masana wa Afrika as a separate entity, allowing it to focus more intently on its mission to support communitybased organisations serving children in Africa. The Director of Masana wa Afrika, Ruth Mapara has held several positions in ECGP since its inception in 2012.

In the different roles she has held, she focused mostly on education and health portfolios. She’s stated that, “The birth of Masana wa Afrika as a separate entity was a recognition of the need to collaborate more to drive funding resources to community-based organisations. Research has shown that there is a funding void in the African funding landscape, particularly when it comes to resources or funding going directly to community-based organisations and there have been some funding partners who have expressed an interest in funding community-based organisations.”

Masana wa Afrika’s approach is built on the understanding that communitybased organisations are often best positioned to address the unique needs of children in their local communities. These organisations are typically led by local individuals who have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing children in their area. By providing grants and capacity-strengthening support to these organisations, Masana wa Afrika is able to amplify their impact and help them achieve their goals more effectively. “Masana wa Afrika is coming in, to make sure that we are supporting more organisations that are working directly with children and we have more funding partners who are funding within the community-based organisation space. Therefore, Masana wa Afrika is really trying to ensure that we have more organizations working to improve the lives of children.”

One of the standout ways that Masana wa Afrika supports community-based organisations is through its grant-making program. The foundation provides flexible, multi-year grants to organisations that are working to improve the lives of children in Africa. These grants are designed to be responsive to the needs of the organisations, allowing them to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities. By providing long-term support, Masana wa Afrika is able to help organisations build sustainable programs and achieve lasting impact.

In addition to its grant-making program, Masana wa Afrika also provides capacitystrengthening support to communitybased organisations. This support can take many forms, including training and technical assistance, networking opportunities, and access to resources and expertise. By helping organisations build their capacity, Masana wa Afrika supports them to become more effective and sustainable, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the children they serve. To this, Ruth added, “Masana Wa Afrika in our in our context, it means the “Warmth of the Sun embraces Africa.” What we are trying to say here is that the future and the brightness of the continent lies within the children that we are supporting, and we are here as a funding partner supporting, facilitating and supporting organisations that nurture and improve the lives of children.”

Masana wa Afrika’s focus on community-based organisations is driven by a deep understanding of the importance of local leadership and ownership in achieving lasting impact. When community-based organisations are empowered to take ownership of their work, they are better equipped to adapt to changing circumstances and respond to the unique needs of the children they serve. “Our mission aligns with the goal of supporting African children’s welfare in that we support specifically communitybased organisations that are meeting the day-to-day needs of children. These are organisations that, for example, ensure that ECD centres have food, they have resources that they need. These are organsations that are increasing access to education, access to healthcare, access to psycho-social support to children who would otherwise not have access to these services. Essentially, this is about supporting those organisations that are on the ground, the frontline organisations and the focus is usually providing a broad range of services and support to children so that they can improve their well-being. This really aligns well with our mission to the overall goal of supporting children through supporting organizations that are embedded within the communities and serving the day-to-day needs of children,” added Ruth. By supporting these organisations, Masana wa Afrika helps them build sustainable programs that can continue to thrive long after the foundation’s support has ended.

The foundation’s commitment to community-based organisations is also reflected in its approach to evaluation and learning. Rather than focusing solely on measuring the impact of individual projects or programs, Masana wa Afrika is interested in understanding the broader trends and patterns that are emerging across its portfolio. By conducting regular evaluations and assessments, the foundation is able to identify areas where organisations are struggling and provide targeted support to help them overcome these challenges.

Masana wa Afrika’s approach to philanthropy is not without its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles the foundation faces is the need to balance its commitment to community-based organisations with the need to ensure that its support is having a meaningful impact. This requires a deep understanding of the complex dynamics at play in each community, as well as a willingness to adapt and adjust its approach as needed. Another challenge that Masana wa Afrika faces is the need to build trust with community-based organisations and other stakeholders. This can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but it is essential for ensuring that the foundation’s support is having a meaningful impact. By building strong relationships with organisations and stakeholders, Masana wa Afrika can better understand their needs and priorities and provide more effective support as a result.

The intentional and collaborative nature of Masana wa Afrika is what makes it stand out in the grassroots foundational development landscape. Their dedication to empowering community-based organisations and serving children in Africa can be equated to the warmth of the sun embracing Africa and thus true to its name. By providing grants and capacity-strengthening support to organisations, Masana wa Afrika is helping build sustainable programs to achieve lasting impact for Africa’s children. The foundation’s commitment to community-based organisations, driven by a deep understanding of the importance of local leadership and ownership is achieving lasting impact.