Our workblog

In March this year, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a world pandemic. After that announcement, many countries implemented various lockdown measures - from the extreme to the moderate. More

Last week I sat staring at my laptop screen. My intention was to write a message of solidarity from CivSource, as we all face the Corona pandemic. I scratched my head to find the right words. What would I say that hadn’t already been said? How could I say it differently and bring a breath of fresh air? More

Today, only a day after its 14-day lockdown which started on April 1st came to an end, Uganda will start a second lockdown. Unlike the previous one, the new lockdown will last a whole 21 days; it is slated to end on 5th May 2020. More

“How could we continue to live and work in Kampala or abroad and only meet when we experience tragedy or just to have a good time…………yet our people in WestNile continue to live in poverty……….and yet, we can do something about it?” More

“Ushawishi”, a Swahili word to mean “Influence”, was our main objective for traveling to Arusha and for participating in the 6th East African Philanthropy conference themed ‘Opportunities in Emerging Trends and Practices.’ Here are my thoughts and experiences over those two conference days. More

The first step to measuring anything is to define it. We know that generosity includes selflessly giving time, money, food, or kindness to people in need. CivSource is collecting stories that fit this profile. These stories will form a database. A database that will someday form an index to tell us what the most generous countries are on the continent. More

Philanthropy in simple terms is defined as committing private resources for public gain. The practice is transforming both globally, and specifically in Africa following the dwindling of external donations and increasing focus on sustainability of civil society, as well as a drive towards innovation of African solutions for African problems with African resources.More

From the 25th to the 26th of September, Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania was home. It was the 6th East African Philanthropy Conference but the first we were attending as CivSource Africa. Like the first day of school, we were excited with a blend of fear. Soon it was our turn to present on a panel whose discussion was centered on ‘The Future of Philanthropy: Global and Local Shifts in Practice.’ More

We have talked about how philanthropy in East Africa can be more inclusive of populations and peoples at the margins especially persons that are differently-abled. In fact, it was quite heartening to see that in furtherance of this agenda, there were a number of persons with disabilities at the recently concluded East Africa philanthropy conference held in Arusha on 25th and 26th September. There was also a panel discussion dedicated to the role of philanthropy in addressing disability concerns…more

Organizing the female leaders’ retreat in Mitooma was no easy feat. I sometimes wondered whether it was a good idea and if I could pull it off, I did not want to fail. I spoke to my family and asked for their support on this and luckily, each one of them said yes to my requests. They were sold on it. More

Mitooma.
That name still rings a sweet bell in my ears. Mitooma… the long-anticipated event!

But how did we get to Mitooma? More

“What are you doing this weekend­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­?” Jackie ­asked me casually.

“I am taking my son to the skin doctor” I replied.

“Because I wanted to invite you to Mitooma,” Jackie said to me in her firm but gentle voice.

  I thought for a few minutes. More

In the months just after CivSource was born, one of the things we were clear we wanted to do was to understand and tell the story of giving in Africa broadly and in Uganda in particular, since that’s where we are located.More

After our retreat in January, we agreed to meet again in August to review and share experiences of our journeys. We had it in Mitooma where we were hosted by our very own Winnie Ngabiirwe, the Executive Director Global Rights Alert. I was happy to share my journey especially on how the January retreat had changed my life. More

In December 2018, I left Uganda in a blur and glided into a funk I have been staring at for almost six months now. I knew I would return to Uganda for a much-needed closure as I bade farewell to all the amazing spaces and places I had so warmly embraced. I kept going back and forth about my visit until one day I decided that August would be my month of adventure and Uganda would be my very first stop. More

Thank you! A word which, if you are raised in Africa, is taught you by all means possible lest you shame the home from which you hail and present yourself uncultured. Knowing that in this life all we have has been given to us, we can’t be help but be thankful and on July 25th 2019 at Endiro Coffee, giving and gratitude made the theme of the day. More

The greatest of gifts are given from the heart; that tap on the back, that unexpected text/ call, a warm smile, sharing coffee beans or a cup of water on a hot day, a kind word or gesture, your precious time. More

The third annual Human Rights Convention organized by Chapter Four Uganda happened on 9th May, 2019. The overall theme of this year’s gathering was ‘Citizen Participation in Governance and Rule of Law’ and it brought together a number of partners that included Diakonia, Centre for Public Analysis (CEPA), CivSource Africa, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Uganda, Akina Mama wa Africa, Uganda Consortium on Corporate Accountability (UCCA) and Embassy of Sweden in Uganda. More

Mr. Sekajugo Collin, a Ugandan visual artist, is the third recipient of the prestigious annual human rights award. This award recognizes and celebrates extraordinary contributions of individuals to the field of human rights. It is given to individuals that have a stellar record in the advancement of human rights in Uganda.