Blog (Simulizi)

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.

 “I believe in local empowerment, for there to be a true development, people cannot continue to be passive in the process but they have to participate to build a long-lasting development”,  Francis Kiwanga.

May you please tell us a bit about yourself and the work that you are doing at Foundation for Civil Society in Tanzania? I am the Executive Director of the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) in Tanzania, the largest funding mechanism in the country. We are a grant making as well as a capacity development support facility for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Tanzania.  As for my background, I am a lawyer professionally. I have worked in the human rights field before I went into doing my consultancy work for some time. I have been with the FCS for 5 years now, joined back in 2015.

Você pode nos contar um pouco sobre você e sua organização?

Fui trazido para a Zâmbia em janeiro de 2009 para criar o Fundo de Governança da Zâmbia, como era chamado na época, que foi projetado como um fundo de pool de vários doadores criado para apoiar organizações locais para se tornarem mais influentes no debate sobre o desenvolvimento nacional. A jornada única da ZGF começou quando um grupo de doadores bilaterais, a saber, Departamento para o Desenvolvimento Internacional (DFID), Agência Sueca de Cooperação para o Desenvolvimento Internacional (SIDA), Agência Dinamarquesa de Desenvolvimento Internacional (DANIDA) e Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) e Irish Aid reuniram-se em 2008 para discutir uma maneira mais coordenada de canalizar dinheiro para organizações da sociedade civil. Naquela época, a prática de apoiar as OSCs independentemente de diferentes maneiras criava uma duplicação de trabalho e mantinha os custos de transação altos. Os doadores comprometeram dinheiro para um fundo comum e a DANIDA ofereceu-se para facilitar um concurso internacional para a gestão do recém-criado Fundo de Governação da Zâmbia. O fundo recém-criado enfrentou alguns desafios iniciais, sendo o mais urgente a falta de uma identidade legal que o permitisse operar de forma independente. Por meio de um processo de deliberação, foi determinado que o fundo se tornaria uma companhia limitada por garantia de cinco zambianos que se ofereceram para estabelecer a Fundação de Governança Zambiana para a Sociedade Civil.