At the end of March, Nairobi, Kenya offered an exciting evening under a clear night sky to East Africa Connect | Advancing Collaboration for Impact, a networking event that brought together more than 70 doers and donors from the region. The aim? To spark dialogue around deeper, more equitable collaboration in the regional development sector.
Organized by MAMA HOPE and made possible through the generous support of Opportunity Collaboration, the Roddenberry Foundation, The Arthur B. Schultz Foundation, and Proximate Press, the event was a bold step towards building stronger, more intentional connections across the region.
Conversations on Collaboration
The gathering aimed to kickstart a broader conversation around how we can build a living and thriving ecosystem of collaboration in East Africa — one where locally-led organizations work in partnership, not in silos, with global allies.
At the heart of the event were three questions posed to attendees:
- In your experience, what’s one barrier that prevents effective collaboration between locally-led organizations and funders, and how might we collectively overcome it?
- What does a meaningful partnership look like to you, especially when it comes to power-sharing and decision-making between locally-led and funders organizations?
- How can locally-led organizations serve as a bridge between funders and community members to ensure that programs stay grounded in real, local challenges?
Off-the-cuff responses came from a rich mix of voices, including Ann Kungu of Blood:Water, MAMA HOPE board member Gidibo Tindwa, and Shivan Pavin Alungnat, founder of Afrinalia — a 2025 program partner under the Diversity Equity Education Program (DEEP).
The energy in the room was palpable, driven by a shared desire to move beyond transactional funding relationships toward trust-based partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared goals.
A recurring theme in the discussion was the need to recognize the power and insight that locally-led organizations bring to the table. One speaker emphasized that development still largely operates from a top-down framework — one that often overlooks the human resources, knowledge, expertise, deep understanding of context, and solutions already present within communities.
To balance this dynamic, there was a clear call to center local leadership in decision-making spaces, not only as implementers but as co-creators of strategy and vision.
Identifying a Gap | Addressing a Need
Annual global gatherings like Opportunity Collaboration are great and invaluable spaces for connection. However, the team at MAMA HOPE noted there existed a gap before & beyond these gatherings. By creating East Africa Connect the vision is that it can be the first step toward bridging that gap — providing global sector players an opportunity to build their regional networks, collaborate, and grow together.
By hosting the event in Nairobi, accessibility for leaders at all levels was ensured. For some, it was their first opportunity to attend a networking event, making it a valuable experience for all involved.
One thing is clear: collaboration isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. And it starts with meeting each other, hosting brave conversations, listening deeply, and committing to balanced power.
Event Images were done by Sobukwa Nonkwe of One Vibe Media. Enjoy event pictures here.
.webp)
.webp)
