Pull together and pool together

This piece originally appeared in Humentum’s A bridge to the future: Essays on a new era for global development. The compendium of essays expands on a dialogue that took place during Humentum’s Bridge to the Future strategic retreat on 15 April 2025. The event created space for deep reflection and fresh perspectives on the future of global development from a diverse set of actors – both traditional and new voices from civil society, the private sector and local government. A subset of attendees were invited to write essays to share their perspectives on the critical changes needed to move beyond the current system.

Jacqueline Asiimwe, CivSource Africa

This week, I found myself in a space adorned with African proverbs. Two of them resonated deeply as I reflected on what I wanted to convey in this article. One states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The other proclaims, “One hand cannot lift a heavy load.” These sayings resonate especially in light of two financial initiatives that nonprofit leaders in Uganda established a few years ago.

One of these was the Nafasi Multipurpose Cooperative Society (Nafasi), born from a shared understanding among civil society organization (CSO) staff and associates in Uganda of the necessity for a platform to promote solidarity, financial independence and business advancement. Founded in April 2014, Nafasi – which means “opportunity” in Swahili – was created to empower its members by fostering financial growth through enhanced savings, investments, affordable credit, housing and retirement planning. Initially aimed at CSO workers, Nafasi has since broadened its membership to include staff from various corporate entities and business owners who align with its missions and objectives.

The founders of Nafasi were onto something significant! The math was straightforward yet impactful. At the time, it was estimated that Uganda had around 13,000 nonprofit organizations. If we assumed an average of 5 employees per organization, with each member saving a minimum of $20 a month – just think of where we could be today! We would have eased the burden on the system by creating our own resources to fulfill our needs.

The other initiative that nonprofit leaders established was named Ujasiri, Swahili for courage or bravery. Started in mid-2018, the vision behind the Ujasiri Fund was to cultivate a robust, independent, self-sustaining, accountable and citizen-responsive civil society in Uganda. The aim was to nurture the next generation of Ugandan CSOs and proactive individual activists capable of thriving in a constantly evolving environment. Ujasiri Fund emerged as a response to the lack of an independent, locally-based funding mechanism for civil society in Uganda. Its establishment demonstrated the commitment of civil society leaders to the long-term independence and viability of the sector in the country. Beyond providing an alternative funding source for member organizations, the Fund aimed to generate and supply financial resources for crucial organizations, initiatives, ideas and individuals.

When it was first launched, Ujasiri had only a handful of subscribing members. The goal was to grow the Fund by attracting more civil society leaders and organizations to contribute. Looking back, I am amazed at our foresight and courage during that time. We had created entities that would enable us to pull together by pooling our resources. I wish we had stayed committed to this path. Together, we could have traveled both far and fast in our journey of traveling together.

In these challenging times, we need these home-grown, home-owned initiatives focused on fostering both financial support and solidarity. In my opinion, and guided by the wisdom of our ancestors, both are essential.

Resources without solidarity are dry. Solidarity without resources makes us wither.

I hope this pivotal moment in history serves as another wake-up – and indeed, a shake-up – call. We often discuss radical solidarity. Now is the time to embrace it fully, “no ifs, no buts.”

I genuinely hope we rise to the occasion, for the solutions we seek have always been right in front of us.

By: Jacqueline Asiimwe, CEO of CivSource Africa