Engineer Ibrahim Kuot, Managing Director of Jubapay Limited during the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference in Kigali Rwanda on June 13, 2025.
Kigali, Rwanda – June 13, 2025 — At the heart of the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference, taking place at Serena Hotel in Kigali, was a conversation about the role of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital tools in philanthropy.
Speakers at a high-level panel titled “Tech, AI & Philanthropy: Infrastructure for Equity or Instruments of Extraction?” called for critical reflection on how tech is being deployed across the continent.
The conference, held under the theme “Agile Philanthropy: Adapting to Economic, Social, and Political Shifts,” brought together thought leaders, innovators, and philanthropic actors from across Africa and beyond.
On the third and final day, tech took center stage, raising urgent questions about whether AI and digital systems are advancing equity or reinforcing old inequalities.
Digital Transformation Must Reflect African Realities
Mariam Ibrahim, Head of Partnerships, East Africa at Development Gateway, emphasized that technology must serve communities, not replace their values.
“Technology can work for people,” she said. “But the adaptation of digital tools should not erode local values.”
Ibrahim cautioned against blindly importing systems and tools that are misaligned with African contexts.
“We need to build tools that fit into the African context,” she said. “Tools that can help us get better data that impacts communities — and make this data available.”
She noted that despite the surge in interest around generative AI, the region still lacks adequate training to effectively use digital technologies.
“We are at a crossroads. AI has been there for a long time, but generative AI has made it more popular. The conversation now is about skilling and re-skilling.”
Ibrahim reminded the audience that digital transformation is not purely about tech. “It is cultural, it is relational, it is political,” she said. “Philanthropists should invest in digital systems and transformations.”
Breaking Data Silos and Fighting Inequality
For Rose Maruru, Co-founder and CEO of EPIC-Africa, the issue is not just about the tools, but who has access to the data and how it’s being used.
“Data is in silos, mostly with the organisations that collected it, often not shared,” she observed.
“In many countries, much data — especially by governments — is still in paper form,” she added.
“Technology is an enabler to resolve this and reach more people in accessing this data.”
Maruru issued a stark warning: “Technology should not perpetuate inequality.”
She stressed that values matter when adopting digital tools and AI. “What values an organisation holds, and what motivates embracing AI, is key,” she said.
AI Must Be Grounded in Local Communities
Engineer Ibrahim Kuot, Managing Director of Jubapay Limited in Juba, South Sudan, pointed to the necessity of grounding technological solutions in local needs and language.
“Build platforms that serve local communities and incorporate local languages,” Kuot urged. “Put things in a natural way — and correctly.”
He cautioned that AI should not be expected to solve every problem immediately. “AI cannot solve problems 100 percent or immediately. Needs assessment is needed. Patience in developing proper infrastructure is important.”
He highlighted regulatory challenges, including restrictive systems around licensing and tech deployment, that hamper progress. However, he remained optimistic: “If properly used, technology can promote equity.”
AI Design Excludes the Global South
Ali Hussein, Head of Grants & Impact at Jackfruit Finance, raised concerns about the design of AI systems, which are often created far from the communities they aim to serve.
“Design choices in AI are mostly done by people elsewhere and do not factor in the Global South,” he said.
“This creates a mismatch when it comes to realities on the ground.”
Hussein called for philanthropy to engage in the digital infrastructure debate. “We must have a structured way to ensure we are serving everyone in the communities we serve, and proper data is important.”
“AI should be built with communities in mind,” he added, calling for more inclusive, locally informed approaches to tech development.
Philanthropy at Risk of Reproducing Inequality
The session questioned the very role of digital tools in philanthropy: are they empowering communities, or simply extracting data and reinforcing inequalities?
“Technology shapes how capital is moved, measured, and justified — but for whom is this intelligence standardized?” the panel posed.
In the rush toward AI-driven grantmaking, algorithmic evaluation, and blockchain-enabled transparency, there’s a risk that philanthropy reproduces the same power dynamics it claims to challenge.
The panel warned that digital tools, often imported and elite-engineered, can displace local practices under the banner of “innovation.”
These systems often lack philanthropic values at their core.
The discussion asked: “What would it mean to actively feed into, govern, and set ethical standards for AI systems that impact philanthropy’s future?”
Toward a New Digital Accountability
The panelists called on philanthropic actors to stop merely adapting to AI — and start shaping it.
“There is a need to unpack emerging models of digital accountability,” the session summary noted, “to interrogate the myth of neutrality in AI, and explore philanthropy’s potential to co-create an alternative digital infrastructure that serves justice, not just innovation.”
Speakers agreed that philanthropy cannot afford to be passive. Without deliberate positioning, even the most promising technologies can become “instruments of capture rather than vehicles of liberation.”
As the session wrapped up, the call to action was clear: Philanthropy must lead in building ethical, inclusive, and community-centered tech systems — before it’s too late.
