Adeso

02/07/2026

Happy Thursday! We are back with another edition of The Weave, and today we are featuring Najma Khan, our Administrative Assistant on the Pledge for Change team.

When we talk about Pledge for Change, our team functions as a small but mighty web connecting a massive global network of 11 INGOs and over 90 supporters. To keep a complex network like that from tangling, you need someone who is an absolute master of coordination, and that is exactly what Najma does for us every day.

With a strong professional background in high-level executive support, Najma keeps all our moving parts in perfect alignment. She manages intricate schedules, facilitates seamless internal communication, and oversees corporate security governance. By establishing clear, practical workflows, she builds the safe, organized environment our team needs so we can focus entirely on our core mission of shifting power to local communities.

But beyond her professional grit, it is the human energy Najma brings to the room that makes her so vital to our family. She has a genuinely warm, refreshing approach to everything she touches, and she is always incredibly resourceful and happy to help out whenever a gap needs filling.

She is also fiercely brave and passionate about conservation. To give you an idea of her calm under pressure: she once casually rescued a live snake that had found its way into our office and safely delivered it to an animal shelter.

That unique blend of operational excellence, quiet bravery, and genuine warmth is exactly what keeps our team steady.

Swipe through the slides to read more of her story!
- Learn more about Adeso: https://adesoafrica.org/
- Track our progress at Pledge for Change: https://lnkd.in/dRwk9SW7

25/06/2026

Welcome to another edition of our weekly segment, The Weave, where we share stories from the heart of Adeso.

When we talk about rewriting the narrative and shifting power to local communities, we have to look at the steady, behind-the-scenes coordination that holds global networks accountable. That is why Deepa Nambiar’s work as our Global Direct for the Pledge for Change is so vital.

If you ask Deepa what she prides herself on bringing to the team every day, she will tell you it is a sense of collective leadership. She does not care for big egos or hierarchy. Instead, she focuses entirely on bringing people's unique strengths and networks together to make things happen.

Her daily work at the Secretariat is basically acting as the web that connects 11 international NGOs and over 90 supporters. It is a massive task when you look at the reality: for decades, less than 1% of aid money has gone directly to local actors. Deepa’s role is to keep the pressure on these global organizations so they actually hold up their end of the bargain and shift power to local communities.

What stands out most is her personal mantra: "the small is the large." Deepa reminds us that how we do anything is how we do everything. Trust and accountability cannot just be abstract global concepts; they have to start in the very room you are standing in.

Swipe through to see how Deepa’s work helps us build a self-reliant future.

- Learn more about our model and mission: https://adesoafrica.org/

- Explore the commitments and track our progress: https://pledgeforchange2030.org/

11/06/2026

11/06/2026

Welcome to another edition of our weekly segment, The Weave, where we share stories from the heart of Adeso.

When we talk about rewriting the narrative and shifting power to local communities, we have to look at the creative forces who bring those stories to life. That is why Emmanuel Amani’s work is so vital.

As our Communications Assistant at Pledge for Change, Emmanuel balances sharp communication instincts with an infectious, joyful energy. He anchors our creative storytelling, handling everything from designing beautiful graphics and capturing stunning multimedia to keeping bold, new ideas constantly brewing. We value him incredibly for his kindness, his work ethic, and his unique ability to always lift the team's spirit.

Emmanuel is also a fierce champion for the deeper mission behind our words. He is deeply dedicated to local empowerment and global humanitarian initiatives, actively using his PR skills and visual storytelling to advocate for an equitable future where local organizations on the ground can truly thrive.

Ultimately, he shows us that communication is not about checking administrative boxes, it is about using art, heart, and relentless imagination to build a fairer world.

Swipe through to see how Emmanuel’s work helps us build a self-reliant future.

Learn more about our work: https://adesoafrica.org/
Discover our global commitments: https://www.pledgeforchange2030.org/

05/06/2026

At Adeso, environmental conservation is our foundational legacy. Today, we mark the World Environment Day by honouring the legacy of our founder, Ms. Fatima Jibrell.

Recognized internationally as a recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for her courageous activism, Fatima spent her life pioneering local solutions for complex environmental crises in Africa. Her leadership mobilized communities against desertification and resource exploitation.

She understood that empowering local communities is the key to sustainable conservation. That vision continues to drive everything we do.

As we look to the future, we reaffirm our commitment to that stewardship, ensuring that her pioneering spirit continues to guide our efforts in building resilient, locally led futures across Africa.

04/06/2026

Attending organized by AidEx - The Global Humanitarian Aid Community this week was a clear reminder of where the development sector stands, and where it needs to go.

The central theme, "Beyond Delivering More with Less," focused on scaling innovative solutions, changing partnership approaches, and restructuring financing models. We spent two days discussing grassroots localization, locally led pooled funds, and moving past transactional donor relationships toward real collaboration.

If we are being completely honest, these topics are very familiar. We have all heard them before in countless panel sessions. Yet, what made this week refreshing was the opportunity to interact with partners who are moving past the rhetoric and actually implementing these solutions on the ground. There is immense power in bringing the right people together to actively tackle these challenges, and it was wonderful connecting with so many colleagues, allies, and new faces.

What became clear during these sessions is that while the industry is still debating how to shift these paradigms, Adeso has spent years building the actual infrastructure to do it. We aren't just piloting concepts; we have developed concrete, operational alternatives across all our programming to solve the exact structural failures discussed this week.

When the conversation turns to changing financing and transactional aid, we look to our THE PROXIMATE FUND, which channels flexible, locally driven financing directly to African civil society organizations, whilst the PledgeforChange reimagines the role of INGOs to shift power back to proximate leaders. When the panels discuss digital tools for localization, we point to the KUJA PLATFORM, which provides the digital architecture grassroots groups need to become visible and fundable to global networks. For community autonomy in crises, our Saxansaxo model returns humanitarian decision-making to the ground through flexible micro-grants and mutual aid. And to break the cycle of aid dependence altogether, initiatives like our Durdur Water Enterprise deliver continuous, safe, and affordable piped water through a self-sustaining social enterprise model.

True sustainability means designing programs that ensure communities no longer need our support once we leave, transitioning them into long-term self-reliance. To learn more about our programs and the solutions we are offering, visit our website.

Explore Our Work Here: https://adesoafrica.org/

03/06/2026

Welcome to another edition of our weekly segment, The Weave where we share stories from the heart of Adeso.

When we talk about helping local organizations navigate their everyday funding and operational challenges, we have to look at the practical technology that makes their work easier. That is why James Gutu’s work is so vital.

As our Product Development Manager at KUJA, James balances deep technical ex*****on with genuine human support. He anchors our design process; handling everything from listening to user limitations to ensuring our development team has the moral support, coordination, and guidance they need to build effectively. We value him incredibly for keeping our system updates entirely focused on making the daily work of local teams smoother and more manageable.

James is also a champion for the practical survival of civil society organizations. He looks at the raw realities of sudden international funding cuts, where groups are forced to let go of staff and freeze vital community programs, and uses those harsh lessons to design features that build true, long-term self-sustainability.

Ultimately, he shows us that building product features is not about checking administrative boxes, it is about creating a multiplication effect where we empower local leaders to help others, creating a chain reaction of support that passes from the system directly to the community.

Swipe through to see how James’s work helps us build a self-reliant future.

Learn more about our work: https://adesoafrica.org/

Explore Kuja, register, and learn more about how we are bridging the funding gap for CSO's: https://kuja.org/

21/05/2026

Stories from the heart of Adeso - Zeinab Bille Abdullahi.

21/05/2026

When we talk about shifting power to local communities, we have to talk about the resources that make it happen. That is why Zeinab’s work is so vital.

As our Senior Partnerships & Communications Officer, Zeinab balances deep operational logic with human storytelling. She anchors our donor relationships; handling everything from meticulous research and due diligence to keeping our internal systems updated. We value her incredibly for keeping these complex processes entirely focused on the human beings we serve.

Zeinab is also a champion for the visibility of our Somalia programs. She looks at raw field evidence and translates it into compelling narratives that help global donors understand the true strength of local leadership.

Ultimately, she shows us that partnerships are not about administrative boxes—they are about securing the financial runway that allows local African leaders to thrive.

Swipe through to see how Zeinab’s work helps us build a self-reliant future.

👉 Learn more about our work: https://adesoafrica.org/

21/05/2026

For 35 years, Adeso has worked to change the way people think about and deliver aid.

We began in 1991 as Horn Relief. Today, we operate as a bold African social enterprise focused on one ultimate goal: self-sustainability.

We are building for the long term. This means establishing programs and projects that ensure communities no longer need outside support once we leave, transitioning them into true community self-reliance rather than aid dependence.

We are thrilled to launch The Permanent Connect: pathways to self-reliance by Adeso, our new monthly segment for our allies, partners, and fellow disruptors.

In our inaugural issue, Issue 01: Bridging the Visibility Gap, we take you inside our work to show how we are replacing temporary aid cycles with durable, community-owned solutions. We share how the new KUJA PLATFORM refresh is making local expertise globally visible and fundable, and we look inside our new strategic agreements in Liberia and DRC. You will also find real-world impact stories from CSO's in Kenya and Malawi, alongside a candid message from our CEO, Degan Ali, on why localization fails without the right infrastructure.

We are no longer following old frameworks; we are creating entirely new models that last.

To learn more about our work and subscribe to our monthly segment, visit our website.
Learn More & Subscribe Here 👇
https://adesoafrica.org/