And that's a wrap! 2023 End of Year Review

Dear Africa Matters Family,?

2023 has been a whirlwind year filled with exciting milestones and thought-provoking reflections. This year our organisation celebrated its eighth anniversary , and much like an individual approaching their double-digit years; we experienced tremendous growth and transformation.?

We are also excited to wrap up the year by sharing our first official annual report; Africa Matters Initiative 2022 Annual Report . We greatly appreciate your support and would love to hear your feedback.?

Here are some of the highlights from 2023.?

We welcomed a new Global Board of Directors . We are thrilled to have a strong group of African trailblazers to guide our organisation. This year, our programs focused on 10 countries and welcomed 17 mentors from 9 countries across the continent and the diaspora.

New Partnerships?

Our team presented a webinar with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights centred around Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. We also formed a meaningful partnership with IE University ; an exemplary business school that offered us the opportunity to reimagine the future of our organisation through their IE Challenge. We had the unique opportunity to join the distinguished UNESCO Global Youth Community , a platform that will help expand AMI’s reach. Our ongoing relationship with RISE has birthed new ways of collaboration that we trust will continue to empower young African leaders to excel in the global arena.?

Africa Matters Podcast?

We launched season 2 of the Africa Matters Podcast . This season, titled ‘What In The Technology’, was hosted by our very own Aluwani Ramarumo and was designed in collaboration with Tactical Tech and Goethe-Institut Johannesburg .

Continental Connections?

We are delighted to share that this year some of our AMAP Ambassadors, ShE Leaders and AMI team members had the opportunity to meet in person. AMAP Ambassador Mary Muthoni Wangari (Kenya) and ShE Leader, Lucky Michael (Tanzania) , connected at the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) held at Kenyatta University in Kenya. Esther Tieku, our Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator living in Ghana, connected with 2022 AMAP Ambassador, Adama Finda-Borway from Sierra Leone, in Accra, Ghana. Two of the participants from the 2022 Her Environment, Her Future Program , Fortunate Chilenje and Gloria Agyare had the chance to meet in person in Dubai, and three of our 2022 ShE leaders, Dorothy Kamoto , Euster Kachingwe, and Anuwality Nyirongo connected in Malawi .?

An unexpected surprise was when our Cape Town team crossed paths with 2023 AMAP Ambassador, Winnie Nakatudde, at the African Youth Summit hosted by the Global Changemakers in Cape Town. Our team had the incredible opportunity to present a session at this summit titled ‘Impactful Advocacy: Finding Your Why.’ Finally, our CEO & Co-Founder, Reanne Olivier & Bespoke Program Lead, Aluwani Ramarumo, connected with 2023 AMAP Ambassador, Mary Muthoni Wangari during their time in Nairobi, Kenya .?

Enriching Engagements

Our CEO represented Africa Matters Initiative at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) . Our team also attended the Africa No Filter Summit #AsWeAre in Nairobi, Kenya this past November. This was a fantastic space to exchange with other African leaders and organisations who are committed to shifting narratives of the African continent and its people.

We also attended the Value Creation Forum hosted by Shared Value and Vega School in Cape Town, South Africa. This year, we also hosted the Green Skills for Youth Twitter Spaces , where we invited alumni from our Her Environment, Her Future Program and leaders in the climate justice movement to discuss Green Skills for Youth in a Sustainable World.?

As we look forward to the expansion of Africa Matters and its impact in 2024, we wish to thank you all for your unending support of our vision.?

Have a happy, blessed, healthy 2024 filled with new adventures, accomplishments, and good fortune!

A Happy New Year to you!?

Africa Matters Team