The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)

Media release
For immediate release
30 October 2012

Marwa El Daly Receives Inaugural African Philanthropy Award

The inaugural African Philanthropy Award was presented at a celebration in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 30 October 2012. The prestigious non-monetary award was launched by the African Grantmakers Network to recognise African philanthropic initiatives that are innovative in leveraging social and financial capital, that are sustainable, and that signify renewed African agency in solving Africa’s problems.

The independent panel of judges selected Ms Marwa El Daly, the founder and chairperson of Maadi Community Foundation in Egypt, to be the inaugural recipient of the African Philanthropy Award.

The judging panel was made up of the chief executive officer of the Africa Media Initiative and co-founder of allafrica.com, Amadou Mahtar Ba; the editor in chief of South Africa’s City Press newspaper, Ferial Haffajee; and the executive director of the Dar Es Salaam based Foundation for Civil Society, John Ulanga.

The judges applauded Ms El Daly’s efforts to mobilise communities and channel traditional cultural practices of charity into participative community development. The Maadi Community Foundation is the first of its kind in Egypt, and it is having a significant impact on philanthropic and development practice across the region.

In a systemic and structured way, Ms El Daly is changing the strong culture of local giving from one that addresses immediate crises to one that is more transformational and long term. And she is getting rapidly growing support from groups from near and far.

Ms El Daly’s community based approach to development is very much in line with the African Grantmakers Network’s vision of promoting many different forms of African philanthropy by rich and poor people alike. Her approach reflects the southern African concept of ubuntu in community based philanthropic practice in North Africa, adding a new dimension to traditional models of charity and social investment.

Ms El Daly uses the Maadi Community Foundation’s art program to bridge community divides, bringing youth from wealthy and poor communities together. The Foundation also creates spaces for youth to mobilise other youth in philanthropic activity.

In post-revolution Egypt, her organisation is playing an important role in promoting social accountability.

The African Grantmakers’ Network was launched in Accra, Ghana, in July 2009. It isa platform for the promotion of an African voice and agenda for philanthropy. Its vision is for a transformed, relevant, vibrant and sustainable practice of African philanthropy. The AGN secretariat is currently hosted by TrustAfrica in Dakar, Senegal.

The inaugural African Philanthropy Award was presented during the annual Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards that recognise philanthropy in South Africa. The awards celebration was held during the 2012 assembly of the African Grantmakers Network, which is being hosted in Johannesburg by the Southern Africa Trust.

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For more information, please contact:
Criselda Kananda
Tel: +27 11 318 1012
Mobile: +27 78 458 9969
Email: ckananda@southernafricatrust.org