West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)

📢 Announcement: WACSI End-of-Year Break  As the year comes to a close, the WACSI team will be on break from 17th December 2024 to 8th January 2025. During this time, our offices will be closed, but we’ll be back in the new year, ready to continue strengthening civil society in West Africa and beyond.  We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our partners and supporters, near and far, for your incredible collaboration, trust, and support throughout 2024. Together, we’ve achieved remarkable milestones, and we look forward to creating even greater impact in 2025!  From all of us at WACSI, we wish you a joyous festive season and a prosperous New Year! 🎉  #ThankYou #SeasonGreetings #CivilSociety #WestAfrica #WACSI

In September 2024, eighteen leaders from nine Ghanaian CSOs participated in Mobilising Support (Advocacy for Change) training in Accra.   This was part of the Change the Game Academy programme, organised by WACSI.   Check out our news article on building advocacy skills, exploring rights-based approaches, and transitioning from traditional service delivery to inclusive policy advocacy and mobilisation.   A big thank you to Wilde Ganzen for their invaluable support.    Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3ZH4Jui   #AdvocacyForChange #CivilSociety #LeadershipForImpact

A recap of our activities last week:  1. The 1st Africa Childcare Forum (#ACF2025Kigali) is happening in Kigali, Rwanda, May 7-9, 2025! Join 500+ experts to accelerate quality, affordable childcare across Africa. Register here: https://bit.ly/3ZQWBbR 2. WACSI is filled with pride and joy as our Executive Director, Dr. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, earns a PhD in African Philanthropy from the prestigious university of Witwatersrand in South Africa! More here: https://bit.ly/4fgwK1x 3. Dans son article intitulé « MON AVENTURE A WACSI »Yangeral Ngararri, jeune professionnelle passionnée par le développement communautaire, la gouvernance et la gestion de projets, a partagé son expérience lors de son séjour à WACSI. Lisez ici: https://bit.ly/3OXa6kd 4. Nearly 70% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in repressed civic spaces.   - 2024 CIVICUS Monitor Report  Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4fftSCa 5. WACSI congratulated Ghana's President-elect, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, and commended the Ghanaian people for their dedication to democracy, as demonstrated through the recent peaceful elections.  More here: https://bit.ly/3OWe2lc 6. Ghana gets first female vice president .  In a thought-provoking article, our colleague, Deborah Nana Ama Abbey, a passionate gender advocate unpacks the significance of this milestone.  Access here: https://bit.ly/4irS330 7. Our latest news article focuses on local ownership, sustainability, and innovative funding strategies to strengthen Ghana’s civil society for long-term impact.  Access article here: https://bit.ly/4fg4A74 8. In our latest Blog, our executive Director, Dr. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, shares her journey as a social justice Advocate and a explores WACSI's focus on decolonising development, promoting local philanthropy & empowering civil society in Africa.  Learn more here: https://bit.ly/49BZ1OY 9. Dans son article notre collègue Isabelle Sodokin évoque le cas récent de Rebecca Cheptegei, brûlée à mort par son ex-partenaire devant ses enfants. Cet acte abominable nous rappelle l'ampleur du problème des féminicides (meurtres intentionnels de femmes).  Lisez ici : https://bit.ly/41zjKRE #LastweekinWACSI

Dans son article intitulé « Le féminicide en Afrique : Une tragédie qui perdure », notre collègue Isabelle Sodokin évoque le cas récent de Rebecca Cheptegei, brûlée à mort par son ex-partenaire devant ses enfants.   Cet acte abominable nous rappelle cruellement l'ampleur du problème des féminicides (meurtres intentionnels de femmes). En raison de la domination masculine, de la pauvreté, de l'instabilité politique et de normes culturelles restrictives, des milliers de femmes perdent la vie chaque année.   Agissons ensemble pour mettre fin à ce fléau. Les individus, les organisations, les communautés et les gouvernements ont tous un rôle crucial à jouer pour briser le cycle de la violence.   Lisez plus ici : https://bit.ly/3ZD07Fw

Shifting Power in African Philanthropy In this interview, Dr. Nana Afadzinu (PhD), our Executive Director, shares her journey as a passionate advocate for social justice and unpacks WACSI’s strategic focus on ‘decolonising’ international development, promoting local philanthropy, and empowering civil society in Africa.  Read about WACSI’s innovative initiatives the push for African resource ownership, reshaping partnerships across the continent.     This piece of work was originally published by the Canadian Philanthropy Partnership Research Network (PhiLab). Here: https://bit.ly/3Df7mMm #ShiftThePower #DecolonisingAid #AfricanPhilanthropy #CivilSociety

WACSI and STAR-Ghana Foundation recently hosted a five-day training in Accra, empowering 26 leaders from 13 civil society organisations with key skills in governance, financial management, and resource mobilisation under the #ShiftThePower programme. Check out our news article focused on local ownership, sustainability, and innovative funding strategies to strengthen Ghana’s civil society for long-term impact. Thanks to Comic Relief and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for their support. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/49w34wh #WACSI #STARFoundation #CivilSocietyStrengthening #CapacityBuilding #Sustainability #GhanaDevelopment

Are you feeling the fatigue as we near the end of the year? If you want to kick off 2025 with renewed energy to #shiftthepower, save the date for the RINGO Gathering: Learn, Connect, Act! Join us to take stock of the live opportunities and challenges we are facing, dive into the innovative ways we are transforming the system, and revive our sense of collective power to shift the dial towards a more just and equitable global civil society. SAVE THE DATE: 11th and 12th February 2025 Registration details coming soon... West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) Reos Partners Nana Afadzinu (PhD) Charles Kojo Vandyck Nancy Kankam Kusi Jimm Chick Janet Mawiyoo Deborah Doane Jennie Richmond Sparkle Richards Rebecca Freeth PhD David Winter Akanimo Andrew Akpan, PhD

A Historic Moment for Ghana: The Nation Welcomes Its First Female Vice President!  But what does this groundbreaking achievement mean for the advancement of #women in Ghana? In a thought-provoking analysis, our colleague Deborah Nana Ama Abbey — a passionate gender advocate— unpacks the significance of this milestone. She offers deep insights into how it could shape the future of Ghanaian women and girls, opening new possibilities for leadership, empowerment, and equality. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3VAKcX7 #GhanaHistory #WomenInLeadership #AffirmativeAction #GenderEquality #JaneNaanaOpokuAgyemang

🎉 Congratulations to President-elect of the Republic of Ghana The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) wishes to congratulate President-elect of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚 on his victory. We commend the citizens of Ghana for their unwavering commitment to democratic principles, as demonstrated by the peaceful general elections held on December 7, 2024. Additionally, WACSI would like to express its gratitude to outgoing President H.E 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐡 𝐀𝐤𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐨-𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐨 for his significant contributions to entrenching democracy and promoting sustainable development in Ghana over the years. As Mr. John Dramani Mahama embarks on this important journey, we wish him every success in his leadership endeavours.

Nearly 70% of people in Africa, South of the Sahara live in repressed civic space, with worsening conditions in Burkina Faso, Eswatini, Ethiopia, and Kenya - CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Monitor Report 2024 Top violations include:   🛑 Detention of journalists   🛑 Attacks on journalists   🛑 Detention of HRDs & protesters   🛑 Censorship  But there’s hope: civic space improved in #Botswana and #Liberia.  Explore the full report by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and find out how your country is doing:https://bit.ly/3OWlEnz #CivicSpace #HumanRights #Africa