How do we shift the power to African partners?

Hub Cymru Africa is supporting organisations across the global solidarity sector to build equitable, sustainable partnerships grounded in anti-racism and local ownership. This means recognising and prioritising the expertise, knowledge and leadership of in-country partners, while also strengthening the diversity of boards, staff and volunteers to enable more equitable decision-making.

Join us for a shared learning event exploring what it means in practice to shift decision-making power to local partners and how organisations can move from traditional models of international development towards genuinely locally-led approaches.

We will hear from two organisations at different stages of this journey:

Money for Madagascar, founded in Wales in 1986 to support Malagasy initiatives to reduce poverty and protect the environment, has undergone a significant transition towards a single globally connected organisation which is now Malagasy-led and registered alongside its UK registration.

Dolen Cymru Lesotho, established in 1985 to foster relationships between Wales and Lesotho based on mutual understanding and respect, is working towards more equal leadership and stronger in-country representation.

Through their experiences, our speakers will explore questions including:

• Why is local ownership more sustainable, and what might be first steps to create sustainable partnerships?
• What does shifting power look like in practice?
• How does becoming locally led affect governance, operations and organisational structures?
• What legal and practical considerations arise during this transition?
• How do cultural differences, organisational habits and internal barriers influence the process, and what helps overcome them?
• What is the role of funders in supporting local leadership and self-sufficiency?
• What advisory options are available, and how could support be extended for organisations considering to shift power?

This will be an honest conversation about the opportunities, challenges and difficult decisions involved in redistributing power. About ongoing negotiations between intention and reality, between different expectations and different systems. Together, we will reflect on what it takes to build partnerships based on trust, transparency, mutual understanding and open communication, and why these foundations are essential for creating more equal, anti-racist and sustainable ways of working.

Whether your organisation is just beginning to explore locally-led approaches or is already navigating this transition, this session offers an opportunity to learn from others, ask questions and reflect on your own journey towards more equitable global solidarity partnerships.

Speakers

Lova Rasoalinoro

CEO at Money for Madagascar

Lova Rasoalinoro is a Malagasy development practitioner currently living and working in Madagascar. She serves as CEO of Money for Madagascar that recently relocated its headquarters from the UK to Madagascar as part of a wider effort to ground decision-making, accountability, and leadership in place. Drawing on lived experience and organisational practice, her contribution explores how global development changes when it is constrained by local realities, relationships, and voices.

Felicity Jones

Former Chair of Trustees at Money for Madagascar

For over 30 years, Felicity has worked with professional and personal commitment to finding, shaping and sharing solutions to achieve positive, equitable change. In senior roles at London School of Economics and the African INGO mothers2mothers amongst others, and now as an independent consultant, she has worked on establishing the routes and foundations for participatory resource flow to those who imagine and deliver change. She became Chair of Money for Madagascar in 2022 and worked alongside Lova Rasoalinoro to deliver the governance , operational and cultural shifts to realise the strategic goal of becoming a Malagasy and a community-led organisation.

Catherine Moulogo

Co-Executive Director at Dolen Cymru Lesotho