Africa’s Big Philanthropy

Episode 1: In Uganda and Kenya Alan Kasujja explores the impact of philanthropy on healthcare and disease reduction. He visits the site of the biggest ever malaria vaccine trial to find out how the large amounts going into vaccine programmes are being spent, and he meets pregnant and new mothers who are being connected to healthcare centres via mobile technology with the help of philanthropy. But not everyone is happy about Africa’s reliance on big international donors and some believe philanthropists have too much influence on health priorities.

Episode 2: Alan Kasujja explores how big philanthropy is putting a lot of money into supporting agriculture to improve livelihoods. He talks to farmers in Kenya about the development of new seeds and scientific solutions like fortified crops. But he also discovers that not all farmers are happy about it.

Episode 3: With the rise of a wealthy class of high net worth individuals in Africa, home-grown philanthropy is on the rise. We meet some of these rich givers to find out what motivates them. The concept of philanthropy among communities is not new here, but as the economic landscape changes Alan Kasujja looks at what impact Africa’s new wealth might have, the impact of social media on how people donate, and what the future might hold for the concept of philanthropy in Africa.

Producer: Jo Wheeler

Broadcast Date: October 2018