Harambee~Ubuntu Pan-African and Feminist Philanthropies (PAFP) Initiative
The Joint Boards of Urgent Action Fund and TrustAfrica, convened in Cairo, Egypt from August 1–2, 2025 for a historic Joint Boards Meeting to deliberate on the next chapter of the Harambee~Ubuntu Pan-African and Feminist Philanthropies (PAFP) initiative. It was held on the back of the African Philanthropy Conference 29-31 July. We extend our gratitude to Egypt, and to our Board Member Marwa El Daly, for graciously hosting this important meeting.
This gathering marked the first in-person meeting of the two Boards, a pivotal moment in strengthening trust, forging deeper collaboration, and reaffirming our collective determination to building an autonomous, African-led, and feminist-aligned endowment to resource justice, equity, and dignity across the continent.
“Rooted in Us, Resourced by Us”
The moment demanded that the year-long investment in research, engagement with expertise, growing the supporters and allies and the careful building of a strong foundation informed the key decisions taken which were both technical and strategic.
A Turning Point in the Journey
The Joint Boards Meeting represents a significant shift from visionary design to practical implementation. The meeting affirmed shared commitment to re-imagine a bold, systemic alternative for resourcing an autonomous, african led and feminist aligned endowment to resource justice, equity and dignity across the continent.
deliberations were anchored in mutuality, transparency, and ubuntu, reflecting the values at the heart of this initiative.
Key Decisions Taken in Cairo
These included a decision-Making Framework which adopted a Quasi Endowment structure allowing flexibility in capital deployment while safeguarding long-term sustainability, jurisdiction of registration as a Trust with a clear pathway for legal incorporation, asset management principles and values and fiduciary oversight and the approval of the Governance structure for the entity with Trustees to be appointed.
Looking Ahead: Collective Action and Deepened Solidarity
The Cairo meeting reaffirmed our shared belief that African communities, movements, and feminists must not only be recipients but architects of resourcing systems. As such, the Harambee~Ubuntu PAFP initiative is more than an endowment, it is a pan-African and feminist declaration of values and principles anchoring actions modelling solidarity, redistribution, and care.
We now move into the next phase of implementation of establishing the entity, finalizing infrastructure, and launching the next fundraising drive.
We extend deep appreciation to the Naivasha community of thought leaders, whose vision continues to guide this work. We call on the wider ecosystem, allies, funders, to stay close and walk together as we operationalize this bold initiative, ensuring that together, we resource African futures on African terms
Together, through Harambee~Ubuntu pan African and feminist philanthropies, we will anchor sustainability for transformative change across the continent.
August 3, 2025 | Cairo, Egypt
