Adeso

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/

07/05/2026

In the world of global development, we often talk about the "what," but Neema Nanjala is the person focused on the "how."

Today we are featuring Neema, our Finance ERP Support and Adoption Officer. Neema is a vital part of our team, known for a quiet but purposeful commitment that we all deeply admire. While she may not be the loudest voice in the room, her resourcefulness is the engine driving some of the biggest structural changes at Adeso.

Neema is currently leading a massive effort: the adoption of our Finance ERP systems. This is the "big build" that provides the digital infrastructure for everything we do. By ensuring our systems are adopted effectively, she is creating the conditions that allow us to move faster, stay more accountable, and scale our impact across the Global South.

At Adeso, we believe that "designing for permanence" requires a foundation that is as strong as the communities we serve. Neema is the architect of that foundation, ensuring that our internal systems are ready for the future we are building together.

Swipe through to see how Neema’s quiet dedication is weaving the infrastructure for a post-aid world.

Join us every Thursday as we share more stories from the heart of Adeso.

07/05/2026

In the world of global development, we often talk about the "what," but Neema Nanjala is the person focused on the "how."

Today we are featuring Neema, our Finance ERP Support and Adoption Officer. Neema is a vital part of our team, known for a quiet but purposeful commitment that we all deeply admire. While she may not be the loudest voice in the room, her resourcefulness is the engine driving some of the biggest structural changes at Adeso.

Neema is currently leading a massive effort: the adoption of our Finance ERP systems. This is the "big build" that provides the digital infrastructure for everything we do. By ensuring our systems are adopted effectively, she is creating the conditions that allow us to move faster, stay more accountable, and scale our impact across the Global South.

At Adeso, we believe that "designing for permanence" requires a foundation that is as strong as the communities we serve. Neema is the architect of that foundation, ensuring that our internal systems are ready for the future we are building together.

Swipe through to see how Neema’s quiet dedication is weaving the infrastructure for a post-aid world.

Join us every Thursday as we share more stories from the heart of Adeso.

30/04/2026

30/04/2026

At Adeso, shifting power to local leaders requires more than just a bold vision. It requires the strategic systems and resource mobilization that turn that vision into a sustainable reality.

Today we are featuring David, who is integral to our grants management and fundraising efforts. David is the person who steps in to figure things out when things get complex, ensuring our team maintains the momentum needed to achieve our goals. He is most proud of the proactive energy he brings to work every day, providing a steady hand even when things are moving fast.

Through careful planning and the maintenance of accountable systems, David ensures that our support is delivered thoughtfully. By assisting in securing the right partnerships, he helps build the foundation of trust and local ownership that allows communities to eventually stand on their own.

At Adeso, we believe that designing for permanence starts with a foundation of dignity and mutual respect. David is a testament to the fact that when we provide the right partnership, we unlock the strength that communities already possess.

Swipe through to see how David’s focus and optimism are weaved into our shared goal of building a self-reliant future.

Join us every Thursday as we share more stories from the heart of Adeso.