Tendai Murisa welcomes us to Zimbabwe with very few words: “We recognise the power of small gifts coming together to change our communities. African philanthropy is about how we shape ourselves and how we shape our day to day and how we shape our realities”.

“Our journey [in this assembly] is an exploration of how we can elevate our agenda and co-create solutions that will change our realities…Philanthropy is not just about wealth redistribution, it’s about agency, identity and justice.”- Justice Rutenge, APN Board Chair.

“Through the theme of this assembly, ‘Collective Freedom from Collective Struggle’, we want to have [and work on in these sessions] a common vision as a network, something not just for a few members but for the whole continent. We want to have an Africa that is free.”- Stigmata Tenga, APN Executive Director.

“If we allow ourselves to define development in our communities, we will not wait for development partners to come to our aid [we will also define solutions that will change our situations].” -Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Zimbabwe.