Africa’s ‘Homegrown Philanthropy’ is Rising, Creating Self-Sufficiency for a New Generation

The Lesson: The decorated psychologist Steven Pinker outlined in his recent book, Enlightenment Now, a convincing case that the world is far better off than modern media would lead us to believe.

In Africa, ‘homegrown philanthropy’ is rising from all parts of the local and national economies there, in countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and others. This episode of a BBC radio documentary series, Africa’s Big Philanthropy, highlights how many of the more fortunate members of the world’s fastest growing economies are not forgetting their often disadvantageous roots, returning to support education and healthcare, with sometimes breathtaking sums of capital. Joining the host is Tsitsi Masiyiwa, who co-founded the Higherlife Foundation based on her passion to provide education to young African men, who can lead the next generation into self-sufficiency.

Notable Excerpt: “Africa’s a continent on the move. Middle classes are growing, there’s more money available to spend, and we can see philanthropy rising all over Africa… It is the only continent in the world where philanthropy among its people is growing. For instance, 93% of Kenyans give, or donate.”

The Host: Alan Kasujja was born in Uganda, but fled to Kenya where he spent the first 12 years of his life. He later returned to his home country to study law. In Uganda he began working in radio, and became the first ever host of Uganda’s own Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Kasujja is one of the main presenters of Newsday on the BBC World Service, and in 2016 co-moderated the first ever televised Ugandan presidential debate. His documentary series is called Africa’s Big Philanthropy.

(LISTEN to the BBC radio show below) – Featured photo by Rod Waddington, CC license