During November’s recent African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) Conference, Jane Mbinya, the Trust’s Senior Investment Officer, highlighted how investment lenses drive sustainable growth. Speaking on the panel Intersectionality of the Investment Lenses, she explained how child, gender, and displaced people lenses intersect in the investment space. She shared case studies from the Trust’s work, demonstrating the transformative impact of gender lens investing.
 
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Photo: The panel included Catherine Wiesner (Head of External Engagement, UNHCR Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes), Maggie Korde (Global Innovation Director and Founder of Kumwe Hub, Save the Children), and moderator Julia Greenland (Managing Director, Africa Healthy Brains Global Initiative).
Jane shared examples of businesses supported by Afrishela Fund, the Trustâs investment vehicle. These included sustainable food production in Kenya, health services in Tanzania, agro-processing in Zambia, and digital financing products in South Africa. These initiatives advance inclusive development by benefiting women entrepreneurs, informal sector players, and underserved communities.
Photo: Afrishela impact in action- Â Vertical farming solution supporting informal settlement communities in Uganda (left); Healthcare access to low-income rural communities in Tanzania (right).
Photo: Workers for the businesses supported by Afrishela receiving banana from smallholder farmers in Kisii Country, Kenya ( left); and feed production at factory (right).
Read more about Afrishela Fund which is incubated by the Graça Machel Trust  here.Â
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.