Our workblog

As South Africa’s academic year settles into motion, a familiar reality returns: students who meet entry requirements still struggle to register, secure housing, or continue their studies because of financial pressure, historic debt, and uneven institutional support. These annual waves of protest and disruption point to a deeper truth, higher education access remains shaped by long-standing structural inequality.

From a youth and civic lens, this piece explores why barriers persist, how they intersect with unemployment and social mobility, and where philanthropy can play a catalytic role. It reflects on what works, what falls short, and what it will take to build stronger, youth-informed alliances that expand opportunity and dignity across the sector.

Read more: Higher Education and Philanthropy in South Africa: A Civic Lens on Unequal Access, Collective Responsibility, and Youth Futures

Image Credit: University of Fort Hare, a historical institution in of African history and education in South Africa

Over five years in the Financial Resilience Hub, we moved from “knowing little about financial resilience” to building practical support for civil society across East Africa, alongside partners like KCDF and the Foundation for Civil Society. We strengthened this work through financial fitness boot camps, pairing partners with financial coaches, and creating honest money conversations through “Let’s Talk Ssente.”
Read more: Read the full reflections from our CEO, Jacqueline Asiimwe, on how this journey strengthened and shaped our approach to resilience.

A new blog by Soni Khanal explores what it could mean to reimagine development at a time when civil society faces shrinking civic space, funding constraints, and rising political pressures. Drawing on insights from Jacqueline Asiimwe, Fifi Boateng, and Robert White, the piece argues that development must move beyond money and formal frameworks and return to its roots, centering humanity, culture, and community leadership. It highlights how African giving has long been grounded in relationships, reciprocity, and everyday acts of care, and why solutions that ignore cultural context can unintentionally disrupt what communities value most.

Read more

Thrive Afrika closed out 2025 with a powerful reflection of gratitude, highlighting a year shaped by collaboration, trust, and Afrikan-led solutions across social impact, storytelling, learning, and strategy. One standout moment was at the Afrotellers Conference 2025, where Jacqueline Asiimwe Mwesige (CEO, CivAfrica Galaxy) crafted and launched the #AfrotellersCreed, a shared commitment that is now guiding the movement’s approach to ethical storytelling and “storying Afrika.” It was a reminder that beyond the outputs and convenings, what truly endures are the values, relationships, and collective purpose that hold the work together. Read more

At CivSource Africa, our work is to document, honour, and amplify African giving, the everyday generosity that is active, organised, and rooted in community. Moments like the Butabika Cookout strengthen our resolve to keep lifting these stories up, ensuring they are not overlooked, but celebrated and used to reshape how philanthropy on our continent is understood.

Read More:

Day 2 of #AfroTellers2025 saw a powerful, unified reading of the Afrotellers Creed, our pledge to story Africa with integrity and imagination, honoring both scars and stars, places and possibilities. Penned by our CEO Jacqueline Asiimwe Mwesige, it reminds us: our stories are our roots, our voices our wings.

Read the full Afrotellers Creed →

#Afrotellers2025 #AfrotellersConference2025 #OurStoriesOurVoicesOurPower #AfrikaTakesBack

Happy 8th birthday to the CivSource Africa Galaxy!

Here’s to the team, partners, lessons, and generosity that have shaped our journey, and the future we’re building together. Dive into our CEO Jacqueline Asiimwe’s reflections on leading with heart and daring greatly, a gratitude-filled look at the people, the D.A.R.E. values, and the vision for a future where philanthropy works and civil society thrives.

Read more:

The World Giving Report 2025 – Uganda Edition, a collaborative effort between CivLegacy Foundation and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), offers deep insights into the giving patterns, motivations, and perceptions of Ugandan citizens. This landmark report draws on a global survey of over 55,000 people in 101 countries, including nearly 1,000 in Uganda. It captures the essence of generosity as a lived practice in Ugandan society, shaped by cultural values, religious teachings, and a communal ethos that prioritizes care, compassion, and support.

To explore more insights from the report, visit: Uganda Giving Report 2024.

Our CEO, Jacqueline Asiimwe, recently reflected on a powerful day that brought the spirit of African generosity to life. During a board meeting at Conservation Through Public Health, she witnessed generosity not as theory, but as presence, people showing up with their time, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to service.

Click Here To Read More:

#LocalGivingMatters #PhilanthropyIsUs #GenerosityInUganda #OmutimaOmugabi

At CivSource Africa, reflection is not an afterthought; it’s a leadership practice. Our quarterly retreats are a cherished rhythm, giving us space to step back, recalibrate, and ask the deeper questions: Are we living our values? Are we moving with intention?

Watch Highlights HERE:

#PauseToGrow #LeadingWithReflection #CivSourceCulture

At the TEDxEntebbe stage, our CEO Jacqueline Asiimwe delivered a powerful and deeply moving talk titled “Seeing with New Eyes.” With remarkable courage and clarity, she tackled the often-avoided subject of child sexual abuse, calling on society to confront the uncomfortable truths we frequently shy away from. She reminded the audience that healing and transformation only begin when we dare to speak the unspeakable and see the unseen.

Drawing from both personal stories and hard-hitting statistics, she emphasized how silence around abuse perpetuates cycles of harm. Rather than allowing fear or shame to stifle action, Jackie challenged us to engage in open, honest conversations. She framed this as a communal responsibility, underscoring that prevention, support, and justice cannot rest solely on institutions or a few individuals. It is a collective task that calls for empathy, vigilance, and courage from all of us.

Click Here To Listen:

Earlier this year, over 150 HR professionals gathered in Cape Town for the 4th Annual Africa HR Professionals Strategy Boot Camp, exploring how people-centered leadership can thrive in a tech-driven world. With themes ranging from mental wellness and gender inclusion to predictive analytics and AI, the event showcased how African HR leaders are reimagining the workplace with empathy, innovation, and strategy. The conversations sparked here are shaping a people-first, future-ready vision for organizations across the continent. Are you curious how HR is transforming in Africa?

Read more HERE.

#AfricaHR #FutureOfWork #HRLeadership #PeopleFirst #TechAndPeople #InclusionAtWork #HRInnovation #HRStrategy #AfricanWorkplaces #HRBootCamp2025

With urgent reflections like “the house is on fire,” the conversation cut through speculation to focus on action, how to rebuild with intention, equity, and local leadership at the center. From calls for radical solidarity to the importance of language and partnership, the dialogue emphasized one thing: the future of development lies in community-driven, collaborative, and context-aware systems.

Among the leading voices was Jacqueline Asiimwe, CEO of CivSource Africa, who passionately called for a shift from individualism to collective strength. Rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu, "I am because we are", Jacqueline emphasized the power of local giving, community-led philanthropy, and re-centering African agency in development. Her insights reminded us that long before external aid, African communities had systems of resilience, generosity, and growth that sustained them, and those systems remain vital today.

Read more about the highlights HERE:

Watch full conversation HERE:

Last week, CivFund joined colleagues from the East Africa Financial Resilience Resource Hub ; Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) and Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) to reflect on the evolving funding landscape for civil society. With shrinking civic space and shifting donor priorities, we explored ways to strengthen financial resilience, foster collaboration, and build sustainable funding models. At the heart of our discussions was one key question: How do we ensure civil society remains strong, independent, and impactful? The journey continues, guided by Ubuntu, "I am because you are."

Read reflections from our CEO, Jacqueline Asiimwe, on the three-day retreat HERE:

The 6th East Africa HR Symposium brought together HR leaders to explore the theme, “HR Reimagined: Building a Future-Proof Workforce with Technology & Human-Centric Practices.” CivSource Africa’s Mathias Nyombi proudly represented us at this transformative event, contributing to conversations on AI integration, inclusive workplaces, and employee wellbeing. Key takeaways included leveraging technology for efficiency, fostering diversity, and prioritizing mental health in the workplace.

Read More about how this event is reshaping HR practices in the region!

Celebrating two transformative years of fostering philanthropy and strengthening civil society across Africa, CivLegacy Foundation has empowered leaders, championed local giving, and refined impactful practices. With its 2025–2029 strategic plan, the foundation is poised to deepen its reach and drive sustainable change.

Read More:

In a powerful keynote address at Thrive Africa’s inaugural Afrotellers conference, our CEO Jacqueline Asiimwe highlighted CivSource Africa’s journey in reshaping the conversation around African philanthropy through storytelling. Under the theme "Seeing the Unseen, Telling the Untold," she shared how our research, giving reports, gatherings of givers, a book of African proverbs on generosity, the comm-UNITY! podcast, and our photo exhibition all celebrate African generosity. Emphasizing that sharing these stories is a rights issue, she affirmed our commitment to making African philanthropy visible and embracing an Afrocentric perspective rooted in belief in Africa.

Catch Highlights HERE

Our CEO Jacqueline Asiimwe participated in a prestigious international conference organized by Aegis Trust in Kigali, Rwanda. Titled “Listening and Leading: The Art and Science of Peace, Resilience, and Transformational Justice,” the event marked 30 years since Rwanda endured the genocide against the Tutsis, offering powerful insights into the country’s journey of reconciliation, resilience, and healing.

Through discussions on peace education, trauma recovery, the role of art, and both local and international justice, we at CivSource Africa contributed by emphasizing the power of culturally sensitive and dignified philanthropy, grounded in genuine love for humanity and the importance of active listening in advancing social justice.

Catch Highlights HERE and HERE