What does “Pathways to Progress” demand of civil society in 2025?
At CSO Week in Arusha, leaders confronted a sector at a crossroads: shrinking funds, heavier compliance, tax pressure, and too many actors working in silos. The charge was clear—co-exist, center community agency, and shift power and resources closer to the ground. Calls echoed for flexible, trust-based funding, protection of civic space, and recognition of CSOs as independent development actors—moving beyond donor-driven projects toward strategies that localize ownership and accountability.
Progress showed up in practice: Twaweza’s tech-enabled literacy work (with local philanthropy backing) lifted teacher motivation and pupil learning; CivFund’s afro-feminist flexible funding helped 60+ Ugandan CSOs build reserves, enterprises, and institutional muscle; media partners and youth initiatives modeled research-led, secure, and community-co-created storytelling; advocates pressed for practical pathways to re-integrate teenage mothers into education.
Act with us, co-design locally led funding models, join cross-CSO strategy sprints, pilot core-support/pooled funds, and commit one concrete step this quarter to move from dialogue to delivery.