United Kingdom’s Comic Relief and US-based Conrad N. Hilton Foundation are the latest funders to join Africa No in Filter (ANF) – a donor collaborative working to change harmful and stereotypical narratives about and within Africa.
All seven funders have committed to a minimum of two years to capitalise the organisation which is led by recently appointed Executive Director Moky Makura, who left the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to head up the initiative.
Despite the Covid-19 Pandemic, which has seen many funders divert resources to rapid response initiatives linked to the pandemic, Africa No Filter’s funders remain committed to the program.
“Many Africans speak about the urgent need for narrative change but there is little evidence of a deliberate and coordinated attempt to do this work. This is exactly what Africa No Filter was set up do, so I am pleased to see new funders coming on board to support us,” said Moky Makura. “The Hilton Foundation and Comic Relief, like our existing funders are progressive partners who understand that the success of their work on the continent is underpinned by our ability as Africans to believe in ourselves and not in the stereotypical harmful narratives that bring us down.”
Stories of poverty, poor leadership, corruption, conflict and disease are the enduring stories told about and within the continent, leading to narratives of an Africa, and a people that are broken, lack agency and are in constant need of help. Although the continent has been highlighted as an emerging destination for investment, with high GDP growth rates, an increase in peaceful elections, stability, falling poverty and the spread of technology, more needs to be done to ensure these stories break through and that Africa is presented in a more nuanced and contextualised way that reflects the continent today. With a clear but ambitious mission, Africa No Filter’s priorities include:
Research to unpack narratives, quantify impact and elevate our advocacy because there has been limited analysis about prevailing narratives – good and bad, what stories feed them, where they come from and how widespread they are.
Build, support and connect the ecosystem of organisations working to shift narratives
Crowd in new and more contemporary stories by supporting storytellers in the arts, culture and media sectors
Disrupt harmful narratives and position ANF as the watchdog for narratives on and about the continent
Both the Hilton Foundation and Comic Relief believe strongly in the power of collaboration; that funders working together can yield better results. They are also aware that the scale of the challenge and ambition around narrative change work in Africa needs multiple supporters hence their commitment to joining the collaborative.
Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, director of strategic partnerships at the Hilton Foundation, said, “We are excited to be part of this movement supporting contemporary, contextualised and nuanced storytelling about Africa. We believe ANF’s research, grantmaking and advocacy around narrative will lay the groundwork for increased optimism and confidence in Africa’s future. This will only unlock better outcomes for the programs we fund across the continent.”
Dilhani Wijeyesekera, Head of Influence at Comic Relief added; “Storytelling is at the core of the work we do to at Comic Relief, and we are keen to support and learn from Africa No Filter’s approach and insights. We know that existing narratives about Africa can be harmful and we are proud to support an initiative like ANF that is tackling these issues.”
Africa No Filter is a donor collaborative that’s working to shift stereotypical and harmful narratives within and about Africa. Through research, grant making and advocacy our objective is to build the field of narrative change makers by supporting storytellers, investing in media platforms and driving disruption campaigns. ANF’s goal over time is to leave an empowered narrative change ecosystem and an informed community of storytellers who work more deliberately to change harmful narratives within and about Africa. The donor collaborative is funded by Ford Foundation, Bloomberg, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Comic Relief and the Hilton Foundation.About the Conrad N. Hilton FoundationThe Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help individuals throughout the world living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage. The Foundation invests in 11 program areas, including providing access to safe water, supporting transition age foster youth, ending chronic homelessness, hospitality workforce development, disaster relief and recovery, helping young children affected by HIV and AIDS, and supporting the work of Catholic sisters. In addition, following selection by an independent international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to a non-profit organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. From its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.8 billion in grants, distributing $110 million in the U.S. and around the world in 2019. Foundation assets increased from approximately $2.9 billion to $6.6 billion following the 2019 passing of Barron Hilton who, like his father, pledged virtually his entire estate to the Foundation.About Comic ReliefComic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. Through humour and stories of hope, we’ve shown that people can make a massive difference helping over 98 million people and totalling 1.3 billion pounds We fund hundreds of amazing organisations who are working on the ground to support the most vulnerable people and communities in society including many of those hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. This includes supporting children to survive and thrive, a safe place to be, mental health and gender justice.
