African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), a fundraising and grant-making Initiative for African Women, has been set up by three African Women who have been active in various institutions within and outside Africa, and who have a track record of successful empowerment interventions, which have helped to strengthen the African Women's movement.

AWDF has currently collected over 2 million dollars from international institutional donors, private foundations, sister funds, and individual donors, and AWDF's International Fundraising Campaign is expected to raise up to 10 million dollars over the next three years.

The founders are Ms. Joanna Foster (Ghana), Dr. Hilda Tadria (Uganda/Ethiopia) and Ms. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (UK/Nigeria).

Among other things Ms. Adeleye-Fayemi is former Director of Akina Mama wa Afrika, an international development organization for African Women, and founder of the African Women's Leadership Institute, AMWA Project. Zoe Cullen, an intern with The Accra Daily Mail asked her about the first Africa-wide Fund raising organization for the aid of the African Women's Movement... a revolutionary project.

WHAT ARE THE PURPOSE AND INTENTIONS OF THIS MASSIVE FUND-RAISING MOVEMENT?

To support organizations that advance the African Women's movement. We feel it is very important for African women to have resources. To support women who have gone into building initiatives around human rights, political participation, peace building, health, reproductive rights, and HIV/AIDS, as well as economic empowerment. The women's movement has played a very important role in proving that the continent is able to develop its goals. A lot of people go on about how long a women's working hours are, how women carry whole communities on their shoulders, but this is hardly ever acknowledged. These women need support and resources.

IN WHAT WAYS IS THIS FUND-RAISING ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN UNIQUE?

We are the first Africa-wide organization. Of course, because we don't have our own endowment, we have to raise money. But no other organization raises money and gives grants on an Africa-wide basis, and our mission has been led and managed by African women, for African women.

FROM WHERE DO YOU RECEIVE MOST OF YOUR SUPPORT?

Right now it comes primarily from international foundations, and corporations and individuals outside of the country, but we are beginning to receive more support from individuals within Africa. We would like ultimately for most of the funding to come from within the continent because we know we have the resources. Philanthropy is not about having a lot of money; it is about having a big heart. Everyone can contribute.

THREE YEARS AGO MS. JOANNA FOSTER SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT THE AFRICAN CONCEPT OF PHILANTHROPY DIFFERS FROM THAT OF THE REST OF THE WORLD, SUGGESTING IT IS MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS FAMILY. DOES THIS AFFECT AWDF DONATIONS?

We have a culture of giving. We give to our family and friends, and good causes. We do not have to teach how to give, but how to network the funds. We have a lot of concerned individuals who don't know how to go about assisting, and they do not have the time. Instead of handing out checks to sick children, they can now give their money to an organization which can address the specific grievances they identify with, and pass along reports about the effects of the donation. Individuals can channel their philanthropy in a more systematic manner.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OBSTACLES IN YOUR ATTEMPT TO RAISE MONEY?

Of course it is not easy to raise money, but we have been quite fortunate because we have a wide network of friends. If you think raising money is hard, try giving money away! It is even harder to do the grant making because you must ensure that the resources get into the hands of the right people. Consider the communication problems between different parts of the continent, faxes, emails, postal services, with deadlines for grants to be written and received.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PROPOSAL THAT YOU CONSIDER FOR FUNDING?

The organization has to have been in existence for at least three years. We look for evidence of basic structures: a management, a constitution, and they must be set up for non-profit purposes. We prefer to support organizations run by women but there are some mixed organizations which have projects for women. We insist, however, that the projects within these organizations be led by women and should have women in governance.

One organization which applied for aid from AWDF is responsible for training youths in a certain part of the country. It has a management committee of ten men and just one woman, so we will not consider such an organization unless this woman owns and manages the organization on behalf of women.

ARE THERE REGIONS OF AFRICA WHICH HAVE RECEIVED MORE SUPPORT THAN OTHERS?

We have funded nineteen African countries all over Africa, with the exception of Northern Africa. We funded countries in the eastern, western, central, and southern regions, English speaking, French speaking and Portuguese speaking countries.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE GHANA FOR YOUR BASE?

We chose Ghana because it is relatively stable, it has good infrastructure, and is accessible. And it also has a foundation for the women's movement.

HAVE YOU ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED WOMEN'S MINISTRY?

We have had a relationship with the ministry. Mrs. Asmah has been a very keen supporter of the African Women's Development Fund, especially when we launched the fund in September of last year. She participated in all our conventions. She has just recently developed the Ghana Women's Development Fund, which is going to assist Ghanaian women with improved facilities, and we are very grateful for this. But the Ghana Women's Development Fund is a distinct and separate organization from the African Women's Development fund. We are an autonomous and independent organization, but we are going to be working with the Minister on women's affairs. Ghana is one of the few countries in Africa whose government has made a real commitment to supporting women.

THE FIRST TIME YOU GAVE OUT ANY MONEY WAS IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, AND THE NEXT TIME WILL BE IN MAY. ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR PROJECTS IN GHANA THAT YOU PLAN TO FUND?

We have two grant making programs; the main grant making program that addresses grants from all over Africa and the small grants program. The criteria for a receiving a grant from the main grant making program is: being in existence for three years, being well established, well organized, and being able to write a clear and coherent proposal. The small grants program is exclusively for Ghana. It is devoted to supporting small, rural community based organizations.

We have given grants to Ghana through both our grant making programs. With the main grants program we funded the Accrandation in Accra, Women in Ghana Development, Abantu for Development and Maata n'Tudu in Tamale.

Through our small grants program we gave donations to small women's groups in the Bawku region, Kunungugu, Widana and Bador villages.

For our next funding cycle we plan to do the same. We expect to give grants to support women organisations in different parts of Ghana who meet our criteria.

Because violence against women has been on the rise in Ghana, and it seems to be a priority for women's rights activists in that area, we would definitely welcome proposals for work in that direction, at a committee or advocacy level.

We essentially want to spread our resources as equitably as possible.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE FEMALE LEADERS TO SUPPORT?

It is not hard to find leaders. We have leaders in all our communities, at every level. What is hard is to ensure they have the right support to do the work they need to, and to popularise the notion that women are leaders. Women have always exercised leadership in their homes and families, if you look at areas of Africa which have broken down due to crisis and conflict, for example Liberia, Somalia and Rwanda, it was women who came out of those communities and exercised leadership. But the notion that women are leaders is what will allow these women to be taken more seriously, and allow them to be more effective.

WOULD YOU GIVE SUPPORT TO A FEMALE POLITICIAN, OR POLITICAL PARTY WHICH SHARES A COMMON INTEREST IN WOMEN RIGHTS?

We will not support specific partisan activities, religious organizations, scholarships, or individuals. But we would support the training of women to go into leadership positions, advocacy skills, and management skills. We would be interested in supporting some kind of electoral activities for women in politics in West Africa, regardless of the political parties they belong to.

YOU MENTIONED A RELUCTANCE TO SUPPORT ANY RELIGIOUSLY CONNECTED ORGANIZATION, BUT CLEARLY RELIGION MUST PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

This is very true. Most religious institutions are sustained by women, especially here in Ghana. We go to seek a better life for ourselves, we go for hope, and spiritual fulfillment. The problem is that these institutions we go to for help are the very ones that continue to suppress women, for they are deeply patriarchal structures. An ill woman goes to church and will be told that her fate is the will of God, turning her right back into the hands of her abuser. Maybe she will be told she must pray instead of taking medical advice. The books and doctrines of the church are interpreted by many different leaders, mostly men, while the vast majority of church goers are women.

AWDF knows though that many inroads are mostly through religious institutions. Whilst we do not facilitate such things as conversion, we would consider supporting groups which want to promote a progressive interpretation and understanding of women's rights and social justice.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SIX-MONTH REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF A GRANT YOU HAVE FUNDED IS NOT SATISFACTORY?

Then we would like to find out from the organization why things have not gone as planned. One of our responsibilities as a grant making fund is to help build the capacity of the organizations that we work with, and you can do this by working with them to see if there are any difficulties they are experiencing in their planning, governance, management, or in their communities. We will give them advice, or refer them to a consulting agency. We can also give a specific technical assistance grant. We intend to be there every step of the way, and we expect to be working together.

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE TOWARDS INCREASING YOUR SIZE AND ENDOWMENT?

Like every non-profit organization, we are trying to keep our personal running costs low, a small staff and only the necessary equipment. We are looking to increase our endowment over the next five years. Then we are hoping to ensure that some women's organizations, especially those that are very large, Africa-wide networks, become sustainable in the long term, independent of donor funding.

IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE MEDIA CAN ASSIST THE AWFD CAUSE?

Work around women is extremely important to report on - and it should not be trivialized. Most of the time women appear in the media, it is either to sensationalize a violent story, or to trivialize the activities of women. Things are taken out of their context, always perpetuating the concept that women are inferior. When women are abused and mutilated it is not something that has happened overnight, it is the consequence of a society that has taught a man to treat a woman in such a manner.