The diaspora is thought to be Africans working outside the continent, yet many Africans are migrant workers and learners who sharpen their trade within the wisdom of what the continent offers and use their experiences to conceive authentic and sustainable solutions. Tendai Murisa is one such person who has crafted his career in Zimbabwe and Senegal working in the development and research sectors, which combined are making a long lasting change to the continent.
In his role as the founder and Executive Director of SIVIO Institute, which is based in Zimbabwe, Tendai is enabling change within regional communities through the organisations’ technical oversight, skills development and research capabilities.
During his time at TrustAfrica in Senegal, one of Tendai’s early tasks was overseeing a programme for smallholder farmers across Africa. This role provided him with firsthand oversight of policies that were implemented without sufficient community engagement – this influenced Tendai to initiate a concerted pan-African movement for agricultural advocacy, which continues to positively impact agrarian communities across the regions. His tenure in the organisation also saw the growth of an advocacy movement around sustainable and equitable agricultural practice, which was strengthened through partnerships and collaborations.
After a successful 8-year tenure in Senegal, 4 years of which as Executive Director, Tendai returned to his home country to establish SIVIO Institute as a research-focused organisation that would inform philanthropic efforts and connect the voices within communities and sectors to the solutions that can progressively empower them. SIVIO Institute is a think tank that tackles development and democracy issues across Africa through its three centres: Public Policy and Advocacy, Philanthropy and Communities, and Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion.
Combining data that he collected on illicit financial flows and connecting this to his experience in development and research on philanthropy, Tendai found that Africa is a net lender to the world rather than a receiver. Additionally, he realised that there is lack of knowledge and proper collection of data, which has created a gap in community-level development efforts.
SIVIO Institute has made great strides through platforms and programmes which include African Citizens Watch, African Citizenship Index, The Ease of Doing Philanthropy Index, the Local Governance Tracker and Tendai’s recently published book titled ‘Rethinking Citizens and Democracy’. Drawing from his experience and research on philanthropy, Tendai is currently researching the continent’s narrative on giving through aid.
Having conducted his research on what he termed as “Agency Work”, Tendai joined CAPSI as a Research Associate and has written a paper titled “Exploring the Meanings of Philanthropy in Rural Contexts: The Case of Zimbabwe”, which was published in the inaugural International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment. In this paper, Tendai uses discussions and case studies to explore the emergence of solidarity-focused associational forms within the resettled areas of Zimbabwe. He provided in-depth insights into the paper during the Journal’s webinar series.
During the recent launch of our Research Report Series, Tendai unpacked his report on High-Net-Worth Philanthropists in Mauritius, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, in which he shared his research process, provided graphical summations of his findings and framed his recommendations to the attendees which comprised of PhD students and researchers from across the continent.
On the topic of learning and skills development with the sector, Tendai believes that the masterclasses that CAPSI offers are a pathway for a new breed of philanthropists, ones who are well prepared and understand how to engage community members and yield results, are developed. “Many people enter the philanthropic space and start a non-profit organisation out of a good heart and the need to make a change, assuming it would be easy. The learning resources and skills on how to run a successful NGO is critical – which is why the short courses that CAPSI offers are pivotal in equipping those considering launching careers in the development space,” remarked Tendai.
Looking to the future, Tendai and the team at SIVIO Institute are set to grow further towards their vision through their programmes. Their recently published Citizens Perceptions and Expectations Findings and Mining Revenue Index are exciting contributions to the sector which heighten the expectations of the calibre of knowledge we can expect.
