comm-UNITY!

Our guests in this episode, co-founders of the charity organisation Young Angels Network, Gillian and Daniela are 21 and 16years old. If you find that shocking, wait until you hear how they gathered a team of fellow teenagers to raise 11 million Uganda shillings to create a solution to lack of sanitary pads and access to education for girls in Kasese.

They also share with us the challenges and hardships they've faced, but it is clear that their purpose-driven vision, wisdom at such a young age, and desire to see people smile keeps them motivated to grow in their giving.

It's the conviction and gentle assuredness with which our episode 9 guest, Bright Ntakky, speaks on the topic of generosity and community. He invites us into the world of 'Lovidex', a drive that started as a one-man ride to deliver hope, resources and medication to those in need during and after the first lockdown.

And he takes any chance to remind us that giving is a transformative gift in and of itself. 

If you thought generosity and philanthropy are things of adulthood, we are here to debunk that myth! In episode 8 we host our youngest guest yet, 17year old Gino Ndiko, who has made generosity her mission at school, in her neighbourhood and in the plans she has for her future.

One of our favourite things is how much she values community and connection with those she is moved to help. She is building relationship, especially with teens her age, as she grows. 

To have a need, identify that need in others and prioritise them by giving of resources and time is a special thing. This is what happened during the first lockdown, when Ivan Okoth a Type 1 diabetic chose to share his insulin and further collect and deliver essential supplies to fellow warriors across the greater Kampala region, using his bicycle.

He joins us in this episode, to tell us about how he powered the design of a distribution system for Type 1 diabetics living through the pandemic, in partnership with the Sonia Nabeta Foundation.

Aisha Ali, founder of Iprofile Foundation, Global Shaker with the World Economic Forum, and a passionate financial literacy coach joins us in episode 6.

Identifying a gap in financial literacy amongst children and refugee communities (two groups whose empowerment she deeply cares for), at 26 years old, Aisha has done extraordinary work to promote money management, saving and investment within these communities.

We were left in awe by her testimonies and tales of transformation!

You can feel the burst of life and energy when this week's guest Dr. Catherine Nagadya speaks about her passion to empower girls through her foundation Girls Unstoppable UG. 

Dr. Nagadya put her dream to sponsor the education of one girl from her village to the test, and has grown that vision to 1000 girls. After her own experience watching peers drop out as early as primary school, and the financial strains of education she started where she was with what she had to create a different reality for others. 

In this episode we go on the journey with her.

Michelle Omamteker, Activist, writer and Founder of the Malengo Foundation, takes us on the journey that led her to devote her work to social inclusive development for persons with disability. Amongst other intangible needs that all humans have, which persons with disability are often excluded from.

She sheds light on the fact that African philanthropy should be multidimensional, addressing both immediate and tangible needs, alongside long term personal and systemic needs. Generosity has the power to create an inclusive society. 

Joanita Anena shares her heart behind starting the Adokorach Foundation, whose goal is to make education easily accessible to children and to show these children that they are not their current situation, they are worth more. 

Generosity holds space for our dreams and allows us to see them in our reality. 

Giving has nothing to do with how much you have, Mathias Walwana, Programs Coordinator at Odur Foundation in Mayuge district, reminds us of this in Episode 2.

He demonstrates the ways in which banding together as a community with whatever resources you can gather, can move mountains and make an impact on those in need. The Odur Foundation has been able to run various programs and charity drives with this kind of giving, alongside the accountability and transparency that goes with it.

From donating 76 books to one school in 2014 to becoming a registered NGO that has donated 111,000 books to over 20 schools across Uganda, Brownie Ebal (CEO at Kitabu Buk Project) shows us in episode 1 that change and impact can start here with us.

At CivSource Africa, we are dedicated to highlighting and propelling African philanthropy and it's exciting to see that the Kitabu Buk Project Team is living this vision!

Young givers are instrumental to changing Africa's narrative and growing generosity alongside leadership in various communities.