How would you introduce yourself?
I work with the Global Fund for Community Foundations. I live in Uganda, and I am in love with the idea of people and communities showing up as active co-funders of the struggles and aspirations. I am also a trustee on the Restless Development Global Board.
Looking across the global Restless Development network, what do you think is unique about the people or culture?
In the international development today – the tone in the sector is about shifting power. I think what is interesting about the people and the culture at RD is that, for a long time, many of them have been quietly having conversations to shift power to the communities they work with. Looking from the outside-in, it’s easy to think that RD has only recently started talking about these things, but I have come to understand that internally – these conversations are as old as 10 years ago.
Can you share a moment where your guidance or decisions as a trustee helped shape a meaningful outcome for young people or the organization?
I don’t think I would call it guidance leading to an outcome, but when we started to talk about local resource mobilization within RD for youth civil society at the trustee level. I found there was a lot of warmth for that conversation amongst the trustees and parts youth movements, that have always resourced themselves, with or without international aid. So no, I have not shaped meaningful outcome, but rather I have found warmth and community towards a conversation on local resource mobilizations and movements resourcing themselves. Especially because this idea on local funding is sometimes “politely” ignored by the international aid system that sees itself as the only funders of development work.
Which of Restless Development’s values has stayed with you the most, and how does it influence the way you lead or engage with others?
Youth power as a guiding north star has been quite powerful for me to reflect on. Especially because many young people, and youth movements have been locked out of international funding opportunities. So, they have had to figure it out on their own, and in the process build emergent ways or organizing that are unique to their circumstances while also mobilising whatever local resources and local money is available to them. There something to be said about what many of us can learn from that. Youth civil society is the perfect embodiment of the idea that while funding key to organizing, funding is not a pre-condition to organizing.
What’s one challenge you’ve taken on in your journey as a trustee that helped you grow personally or professionally?
One of the things I have had to confront has been to reflect on what does a de-centralized network/movement of people working together around the world looks like. There is always an instinct to box organisations whose form is unfamiliar to us – to box them into what we already know, as either an INGO or NGO etc. It took me a minute to appreciate RD as a hub of actors around the world. A different type of animal that does not fit neatly into the INGO and NGO boxes we some place organisations whose structure feels unfamiliar or odd to us. There has been some learning and growth for me in this regard. I have made some psychological leaps in appreciating RD as a network of hubs, and like a said – a different type of animal.
Can you recall a moment when cross-cultural or international collaboration at Restless Development made a big impact?
The international collaboration with various people based in various parts of the world has been a big educational experience for me, and the progressive discovery of how little I know about others parts of the world.
What’s a project, or passion outside of your trustee role that energizes or inspires you?
I came up in this sector believing the critiques of the international funding system were governed by a code-of-silence. Outside my trustee work, I have found so much energy, confidence and warmth in the being part of the #ShiftThePower movement. #ShiftThePower first emerged as hashtag at the Global Summit for Community Foundations in 2016 as an articulation of the fact that international aid was run by a sub-culture of power. Power held by funders. That power had/has been used and abused at the expense of communities. In the wake of movements such as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, #CharitySoWhite – the #ShiftThePower movement has grown to mean different things to different people as an articulation of what is wrong with the international funding system and how we could all, regardless of where in the world you are, contribute to making it better. I have very-much enjoyed being part of that movement.
What’s your go-to way to unwind or reset after a demanding week?
I need little convincing to lounge at the beach or to seat at a rooftop bar.
Looking back, is there a light-hearted memory, habit, or phrase that your fellow trustees or team members still joke about?
I remember Amisa came to Kampala, and we went to a karaoke bar. I loved it because that day I learned that we both have more singing confidence than singing voices.
If you had to pick just 3 items to take to a desert island (no logistics required!), what would they be and why?
My son has a very cool spiderman digital watch – I will need that to remember the days of the week. A case of the Lemon Waragi Gin, and a copy of Will Durant’s book – Story of Civilization.
What’s a surprising skill or talent you have that most people wouldn’t know about?
I am somewhat good at weeding gardens with my hands. I find that it empties my mind.
Can you share your Favourite Quote?
Ohhhh, I have so many I love but here is one I have grown to love, I learnt it from colleagues in the #ShiftThePower movement because in some ways it’s a “guiding star” for creating new ways of thinking and doing in international and community development. Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete”.
