H.E Bisi_Adeleye-Fayemi./Photo;Wikipedia
At the 6th Africa Philanthropy Conference held from July 27th to 31st, 2025, H.E Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, delivered a compelling address on reshaping African philanthropy through local ownership, solidarity, and women’s leadership.
Drawing on decades of experience in feminist activism and African-led development initiatives, she emphasized the importance of narratives that highlight resilience, community, and agency in African development.
Lessons from Leymah Gbowee: “The Women Came”
Adeleye-Fayemi shared a story recounted by Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist who led the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a non-violent movement that helped end the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.
Gbowee, along with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakkul Karman, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to secure women’s rights and participation in peace-building.
In 2014, Leymah led a delegation from the Nobel Women’s Initiative to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they met women’s groups, mostly survivors of the country’s prolonged conflict.
The women shared experiences of loss, displacement, and sexual violence.
A repeated refrain in their narratives stood out: “And then the women came.”
They supported one another with food, childcare, and emotional care, demonstrating solidarity that became central to their survival.
Adeleye-Fayemi recounted how Leymah critiqued the delegation’s focus on trauma.
Members, mainly donors, journalists, and academics from abroad, asked questions about healing and the women’s ongoing suffering.
Leymah insisted that the real story was not the trauma itself but how women supported each other through unimaginable hardship. As Adeleye-Fayemi quoted Leymah:
“The headline should be one about how women of the DRC stand in solidarity with their sisters. What we have heard is a story of solidarity, of compassion, of unity, of togetherness, of hope. That is what is going to make all the things they have experienced bearable.”
The story underscores an essential lesson for donors and development actors: narratives should highlight resilience, agency, and community-led solutions rather than solely focusing on victimhood.
African-Led Solutions: The Genesis of AWDF
Adeleye-Fayemi reflected on her experience co-founding the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) 25 years ago, alongside Hilda Tadria of Uganda and Joanna Foster Meherso of Ghana.
The fund was created to support feminist activism across Africa, enabling women to lead initiatives addressing the issues they considered most urgent.
“We didn’t have money of our own, but we knew where to look for it,” she said.
“Even if we went around the world to seek money to run this foundation, ultimately this foundation would only survive if we could ensure that we had resources from our continent human resources, financial resources, material resources, things that would enable us to have ownership.”
Her remarks highlighted that sustainable African philanthropy depends on local capacity, ownership, and accountability.
African philanthropists must invest in homegrown solutions that are contextually relevant and community-driven.
Creating Spaces for Dialogue and Learning
Adeleye-Fayemi noted that in the early days of AWDF, African activists often participated in global convenings with externally set agendas.
Today, dedicated African platforms exist, including the Africa Philanthropy Conference, the Africa Philanthropy Forum, and the Africa Philanthropy Network.
“These spaces for thinking, dialogue, learning, and contestation are the spaces that will take us to the places we need to go in this field,” she said.
These networks allow African philanthropists and activists to share knowledge, amplify indigenous solutions, and strengthen peer learning.
Lessons for Donors and Development Actors
A key theme in Adeleye-Fayemi’s speech was the importance of reframing development narratives.
Donors, media, and international development actors often focus on deficits and suffering, reinforcing images of helplessness.
She urged a shift toward narratives that emphasize agency, resilience, and local leadership.
“Don’t focus only on suffering,” she said.
“Focus on how communities are responding, how women are organizing, how Africans are creating solutions for themselves.”
This approach ensures that development initiatives align with local priorities and values rather than externally imposed agendas.
Sustaining Impact Through Local Ownership
Adeleye-Fayemi underscored that African philanthropy must not rely solely on external funding.
Long-term impact is achieved when African institutions, leaders, and communities hold ownership and responsibility for development initiatives.
“It was exactly 25 years since some of us established the African Women’s Development Fund,” she said.
“We believed that even if we went around the world to seek money, ultimately this foundation would only survive if we ensured that we had resources from our continent.”
Her perspective challenges conventional donor-recipient models, emphasizing collaboration rather than dependency, and positioning Africans as decision-makers in shaping the future of their communities.
A Call to Action: “The Women Will Always Come”
Concluding her address, Adeleye-Fayemi returned to the enduring message of solidarity.
“The women are always there. They will always come, they will always be there, and we as Africans, wherever we are, will always be there,” she said.
Her words affirm the power of collective action and the importance of recognizing and supporting women-led initiatives across Africa.
They also underscore that sustainable development is not only about resources but about nurturing networks, enabling agency, and amplifying marginalized voices.
Through her reflections and Leymah Gbowee’s story, Adeleye-Fayemi delivered a clear message: African-led philanthropy, grounded in solidarity and local ownership, is central to reshaping the continent’s development trajectory.
