GIVING DIGEST | When the Taps Close, Who Keeps Giving?
What happens when global aid recedes? We look inward, and forward.
In a world of shrinking donations and shifting priorities, Robert Kigongo urges us to rethink how we define and sustain philanthropy. With traditional donors pulling back and billionaires slow to engage, the cracks in global giving have become painfully visible, from halted education to underfunded hospitals and grassroots initiatives gasping for support.
Yet Kigongo reminds us that philanthropy isn’t just for the elite. It’s in the uncle paying a nephew’s school fees, the community crowdfund for hospital bills, the neighbourhood that rebuilds a school. Philanthropy must evolve beyond dependency and emergency response, it must become a collective ecosystem of care, rooted in policy reform, local responsibility, and the power of everyday givers.
Africa’s billionaires like Dangote, Motsepe, Mansour, and Dewji offer glimmers of what's possible when wealth meets purpose. But Kigongo’s deeper call is clear: don’t wait for the mega-rich to save the day. Sustainable development begins when all of us, at every level, choose to give intentionally, consistently, and with courage.
🌍 Philanthropy isn’t just about how much you give. It’s about who you’re becoming when you give it.
Source: Daily Monitor, May 20, 2025 – “Rethinking Philanthropy for Sustainable Development” by Robert Kigongo