It is hard to believe 5 months have passed since the world was turned upside down. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to rage across the world, we at TrustAfrica continue to find ways to respond. In April 2020, we launched a COVID-19 Africa Solidarity Fund to support emergency responses across Africa in the face of this new virus. Through the catalytic support of this fund we have contributed to the protection of the health of informal sector workers in Zimbabwe, the protection of women against GBV during nationwide lockdowns in West Africa, and provided relief funds for local communities to develop contextually relevant responses such as collective purchasing of goods, community gardens and more.

Grantmaking for the Kiisi Trust officially began in early 2018, after the inaugural Advisory Council gave their first grant recommendations to the Board of Trustees in December 2017. Currently, the Kiisi Trust gives out small grants of less than $10,000 in 7 thematic areas (peacebuilding, health, education/ adult literacy, youth skills development/ SME support, women’s programs, agriculture/ environmental rights, and governance/voice/ accountability).

STATEMENT

We, the Parliamentarians, Human Rights Defenders and the Academia, representing around 260 million people in the world discriminated on the basis of work and descent (DWD), have gathered together from 15 countries in different continents in virtual conference on 14 September, 2020.

TrustAfrica is proud to be part of a civil-society funder collaborative called ZimbabweAlliance with solidarity partners that have included Wallace Global Foundation, Schooner Foundation, and Humanity United over the past 10 years. Through ZimbabweAlliance we have supported critical efforts in Zimbabwe, including support through constitutional expert Alex Magaisa to the historic Constitution development process which culminated in a new Constitution in 2013; seed funding to nascent movements which have grown into powerhouses such as Magamba Network and NAYO who are now anchor partners in Accountability Lab Zimbabwe; and most recently support to the Citizens’ Manifesto. Citizens’ Manifesto has become a vibrant convergence platform for progressive citizens, local community collectives, civil society, and activists in pursuit of a Better a Zimbabwe For All.

COVID-19 has reminded us that the fight against poverty and marginalization must be taken up with renewed vigour in Africa and globally. As a pan-African organization that seeks to strengthen African initiatives which address the most difficult challenges confronting the continent, TrustAfrica is working closely with the Southern Africa Trust and African Philanthropy Network  (APN) to provide much-needed support to marginalized communities through the Community Immunity Initiative. 

Learning to live with COVID-19 while fighting its spread was part of the decisions made by TrustAfrica. One of the strategies was to organize or participate in debates and exchange of ideas through webinars.  

COVID-19 has reminded us that the fight against poverty and marginalization must be taken up with renewed vigor in Africa and globally. This is a call we should not ignore. Our collective immunity saves the world.

TrustAfrica is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has approved a grant of US$20,000.00 to the Southern Africa Research and Documentation Center (SARDC) in order to provide support for Phase V of the "Illicit Financial Flows Observatory for Africa” project.

A Summary of Discussions Among Key Stakeholders in Three Regional Economic Communities