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Ghana, Accra-15 July 2009: "The African Grantmakers Network will change the face of global philanthropy. And it will happen right here in Africa", said Sarah Mukasa, Director of Programmes at the African Women's Development Fund, at a meeting organized to establish a network of African grantmakers.

After years of careful planning, preparations, consultations and meetings, the AGN was launched in Accra at a meeting convened by the African Women's Development Fund, TrustAfrica and the Kenya Community Development Foundation-and attended by key African grantmakers. "The establishment of an African Grantmakers Network is well overdue", was the opening line of a discussion document circulated at the meeting.

"This has been a long overdue dialogue that has now finally taken shape. I want to express my wish that this network will grow and become sustainable in order to develop a strong, collective voice for Africa and her needs in terms of development-from Africa, for Africa", said Christine Delport, Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation.

And TrustAfrica's Executive Director, Akwasi Aidoo, emphasized that the AGN's main function will be to "change the narrative of Africa as helpless and hapless, tilt the balance of stories, and increase the visibility and knowledge of Africa". He went on to say, "this is a network with a solid net across our continent and lots of good work for its people".

The AGN will also:

§ Serve as a platform for peer learning and good practice to enhance good standards and practices;

§ Ensure an amplification of local voices in development discourse and African perspectives in global platforms;

§ Reinforce the tradition of African philanthropy;

§ Advocate for long-term and sustainable mechanisms and resources, including investments and endowments for philanthropic institutions in Africa;

§ Serve as a reference point for Africans in the Diaspora and a point to affirm the identity of African philanthropic institutions;

§ Cultivate good relations with other civil society formations in Africa and increase networking for effective advocacy around the aid agenda and the legal environment, including the tax regime; and

§ Conduct pertinent research, capacity building and advocacy roles.

A Steering Committee was elected comprising;

§ Bisi Adeleye FAYEMI: Chair (African Women's Development Fund, Ghana)

§ Janet MAWIYOO: Co-Chair (Kenya Community Development Foundation, Kenya)

§ Akwasi AIDOO: (TrustAfrica, Senegal)

§ Christine DELPORT: (Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation, South Africa)

§ Neville GABRIEL: (Southern Africa Trust, South Africa)

§ Ezra MBOGORI: (Akiba Uhaki Foundation, East Africa)

§ John Ulanga: (The Foundation for Civil Society, Tanzania)

After the launch, Neville Gabriel, Executive Director of Southern Africa Trust, stated:

"The creation of the African Grantmakers Network is a historic moment in the development of African institutions that truly belong to the continent. It's been created by grantmaking organizations that are rooted in Africa, out of their own felt need for such a network, and through their own commitment to create such a group. The network will therefore be a key platform to improve the way in which funding towards effective development results is channeled to African organizations".

And Bisi Adeleye Fayemi, Executive Director of the African Women's Development Fund, summarized the launch as follows:

"The story of Africa's development has been told many times over with great reference to the disasters but little if any to the contributions of Africans who work to create change, to shape a new historical narrative of hope, dignity, peace and prosperity to all of the continent's citizens. The AGN is born of these efforts. It seeks to build on the rich tradition of philanthropic giving in Africa".