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APN in collaboration with Urgent Action Fund: Feminist Philanthropy in COVID-19 responses

The pandemic has had adverse effects on the world, but women have been overwhelmingly impacted. Over the last year, already existing structural inequalities that disproportionally affect women have been further entrenched within African communities. Interventions to mitigate the spread of the pandemic such as lockdowns resulted in the increase of womn’s care giving roles as they were forced to stay indoors. In some households, women became more prone to abuse from partners or other relations.

EMPOWERING THE WOMEN WE NEED FOR THE AFRICA WE ENVISION

AN INTERACTION WITH MARY RUSIMBI THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WOMEN FUND TANZANIA

In order to create the Africa we envision, it is important that we curb all manner of inequality that exists in our community, even if these inequalities have been created as a result of our cultural heritage. The inclusion of women, should not be regarded as a by the way agenda, but as a building block required in the structural development of Africa’s foundation and future. Such an ambitious objective is one that Mary Rusimbi and the team at Women Fund Tanzania are trying to bring to life with every element of creativity and innovation that they uphold.

Women Fund Tanzania is a Tanzanian based civil society organization that exists to change the narrative of women and girls by supporting their ambition and initiatives that identify an undivided cause to changing the course of history in their community. “As an organization is our undivided priority to ensure that we provide training, incubate talent and provide every kind of technical support as need arises. As regards allocating our supporting we ensure that 60% is wholly dedicated to the women in the rural community while 40% is allocated to the national level,” Mary eloquently established during her conversation with APN.

APN YOUTH OF THE MONTH

FEMALE YOUTHS CHOOSING TO CHALLENGE: SINIKIWE KADEMAUNGA

Sinikiwe was born with a condition that stopped the growth of her limbs, but the Zimbabwean is not letting her physical limitations hold her back. Sinikiwe is a blogger, youth philanthropists, life coach and social worker on a mission to change negative stereotypes around disability.

BACKGROUND STORY OF SINIKIWE

Sinikwe is the last child in a family of five children. As she narrates her childhood story, she painfully explains how her deformities were an unexplainable cultural abomination that brought nothing but trouble to her family. Given the patriarchal nature of most African societies, Sinikiwe’s mother bore the brunt of such an “abomination” and was accused of being the reason behind Sinikiwe’s disability. In the end Sinikiwe went to stay with her grandmother who was more than willing to look after her

Tell me your current work and background.

As you know I work with the AWDF and I’m the special programs manager. My key responsibility is managing philanthropic partnerships and networks, and then also doing resource mobilization and donor relations. For the last two decades, I’ve been working in philanthropy in Africa, which is really global philanthropy because of the wide reach externally. AWDF funds women organizations in africa, but we are connected to African women movements and global feminist movements. Here at AWDF funding is our whole work, which we support with capacity building and movement building as well. In the background of all this work is the relationship we have with different funders and networks including that of APN and that’s what brings us into the philanthropic space. We are also a part of PROSPERA Africa funds, which is the international networks of women’s funds.