The Ford Foundation has called on Africans across the diaspora to rethink the way it shapes and influences the continent’s philanthropy.

ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, regional director of the Ford Foundation’s office of West Africa, says the foundation wants the diaspora to focus on addressing the development challenges in Africa, particularly at a time when foreign donor funding to African civil society organisations is falling. 

Aniagolu-Okoye says diaspora philanthropy should consider working with local civil society groups. 

‘We find these local CSOs to be very effective in the delivery of the needed change we envision for Africa because they are closer to the communities, understand the issues, have built networks in the communities and with governments, and possess crosscutting measures to tackle developmental issues in much cheaper ways,’ she said, speaking at the African Philanthropy Dialogues in London. 

Former director of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) Theo Sowa says African philanthropists must redefine what philanthropy means to them, in order to have a sense of ownership. 

‘Philanthropy is a part of us! That is why we have to be intentional about how we carry out philanthropy and how we speak about it, so that it is more relevant to our communities. It is time we all see each other as philanthropists because we hold the power to make a difference in the lives of others through our resources, time, and service,’ she added. 

Sowa also warned that a move away from distrusting philanthropy was essential to rebuild and invest in projects. 

The Ford Foundation’s role in Africa has come under recent scrutiny since Kenya’s president William Ruto claimed the philanthropy sponsored anti-government protests.

More than 500 people were killed, with 59 people abducted and 628 people arrested arbitrarily.

The Ford Foundation has rejected Ruto’s allegations, as have experts and analysts.

Jervin Naidoo, a political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, a consultancy based in South Africa, told Al Jazeera that Ruto’s accusations are a cover ‘to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings’, particularly with government corruption and reportedly lavish spending by high ranking officials, including by the president himself. 

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance magazine.