comm-UNITY!

“I was standing on the shoulder of giants”, says Mrs. Pheona Nabasa Wall, President of The Uganda Law Society, as she describes how generosity played a part in her campaign for the position. 

Ms Wall joins us in episode 3 as we continue to delve into the beauty of generosity.

She shares stories of the individuals and organizations that took up her cause as their own during her campaign. She highlights how very often, the generosity of women helps propel other women into public office. 

She also shares with us what generosity looks like in the fraternity of lawyers in Uganda, both externally and internally.

Mr. Shem Opolot, Co-founder and Managing Director of The Good Currency joins us in this episode as we delve into the eco-system of sustainable giving and volunteer work that the platform seeks to support and be a part of in various communities.

He shares the foundation on which the Good Currency was built, the mechanisms on which it functions, and their primary goals.  

Mr. Opolot emphasizes the importance of both accountability within giving practices as well as measurement of impact.

Our first guest of Season 3 is Mr. Jackson Twesigye Kaguri, founder and CEO of Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project, 2012 CNN Hero, 2015 Global Citizen Award Winner and author.

He shares with us the triumphant and intimate story that led to the founding and growth of the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project to what it is today. As he weaves story and lesson together, he continuosly reminds us that generosity is built on community, and one need not wait until they've reached a certain level to give.

http://www.nyakaschool.org/

https://www.amazon.com/School-My-Village-Promise-Orphans-ebook/dp/B004IYIT48

https://www.amazon.com/Victory-My-Village-Fulfilling-Promise/dp/0997227699/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Victory+for+my+village+twesigye+jackson&qid=1603888891&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Her Royal Highness the Nnabagereka of Buganda, who is the Queen consort of Kabaka Ronald Mwenda Mutebi II, the King of Buganda, joins us in episode 10 as we wrap up the second season of comm-UNITY!

The Nnabagereka is an icon who is highly regarded in society for her leadership in various areas including the Nnabagereka Development Foundation, which she founded in 2000. Through the Foundation, she has done charitable work for children, the youth and women, in the areas of education, healthcare, and community development.

In this episode, we discuss generosity and its heritage, particularly in the Buganda culture. We talk about how expressions of generosity have transformed over time. We also touch on the importance of structuring giving on the African continent.

Sameera Mehra, head of Global Alliance Development for Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), joins us in episode 9. Sameera shares from research conducted by CAF titled: “Growing Giving in Uganda.” 

This important piece of work was borne of CAF’s desire, alongside their partners, to both identify the roadblocks and the opportunities to growing individual charitable giving in Uganda.

Focusing on civil society organizations, Sameera highlights the major findings and key recommendations from the research. She relates this information to what civil society is experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic

We are joined by Mr. Keith Kibirangi, head of African Philanthropy at Save The Children UK, who quickly sets the tone for the conversation with the words “Africans are generous! Generosity begins in Africa!”.

Often African ways of giving are lost in the international narrative. But Mr. Kibirango gives an indepth look into the work of African philanthropists, and the many forms of giving outside of grants and funding.

There is a whole range of people concerned about the impact they can have on the development of communities on the continent, in ways that promote self sustainability. Indeed “Africans are generous! Generosity begins in Africa!”

Carrying on in the spirit of UBUNTU, we sit down with Dr. Stigmata Tenga, Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Network (APN), who reminds us that philanthropy is both an act of giving and an act of power.

While that power has often been guarded by the Global North, Dr. Stigmata highlights the importance of shifting that power back in our own hands as Africans, dismantling systems of inequality, and recovering the dignity of communities that have been undermined and undervalued.

African Philanthropy is community centered, and while it is often overlooked, she also shares how its value has been  brought to the fore during this COVID-19 pandemic, as communities took support and solidarity into their own hands.

Joining us in Episode 6 is our special guest Kwiz Era. He is a renown painter and illustrator and he collaborated with CivSourve Africa to illustrate a book of African Proverbs on Generosity, joins us in episode 6.

He starts by sharing with us why he felt the book of African Proverbs was a project he had to be a part of. And by extension how the themes that enticed him (PanAfricanism, Local Philanthropy and Art) are important elements within our society. In many ways, art plays a part in preserving our ways of being, and this includes our stories and experiences of generosity.

In episode 5, we sit down with Honorable Rhoda Kalema, former Cabinet Minister and Member of the Costituent Assembly. A woman who has given so much of herself, time and resources; we trace the roots of this generosity in her life.

From her faith, to the example her parents set and the culture of sharing during her school-going days, she drops gems of wisdom on what has become her way of life.

It is interesting that even though UBUNTU is deeply embedded in African culture, the dominant narrative often portrays Africans as beggars in desperate need of aid. In episode 4 we sit down with LC5 Chairman of Gulu District, Mr. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi who shares with us stories that reflect the Acholi culture of giving.

It is widely believed that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And Gulu district is filled with stories of the local community coming together to share (big or small) and build. It is important that we are deliberate about telling African stories of giving.