A new book released by the Higherlife Foundation is documenting how African-led philanthropy has transformed lives across the continent over the past three decades.
Titled And Still We Rise: The Power of Philanthropy, the publication traces how a response to Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS crisis grew into one of Africa’s most influential philanthropic movements.
Founded by Tsitsi Masiyiwa and Strive Masiyiwa, the foundation began as an effort to support vulnerable children whose lives had been disrupted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“We became philanthropists not by design but by doing,” said Tsitsi Masiyiwa, chairperson of Higherlife Foundation.
“This book is our attempt to be honest about what that means, the failures as well as the breakthroughs, and to show what becomes possible when you commit to a community for the long term.”
The book brings together reflections and narratives from scholars, educators, health professionals and development practitioners from Zimbabwe and other African countries, including Lesotho, Burundi and South Africa.
It highlights how Higherlife evolved from an emergency scholarship programme into a broader development platform focusing on health, education, rural transformation, sustainable livelihoods and cultural preservation.
Tanya Masiyiwa said the organisation’s work has always been rooted in long-term investment in people.
“Only through continued investment in health and education can we create an environment that will help this generation capture the opportunities of tomorrow,” she said.
Related Stories
The book’s foreword was written by Angeline Murimirwa, who said the stories contained in the publication highlight the transformative power of sustained philanthropy.
“The stories you are about to read are more than individual success stories,” she wrote.
“They are a testament to what is possible when philanthropy moves beyond charity to genuine investment in human potential.”
And Still We Rise: The Power of Philanthropy is now available in paperback, Kindle and audiobook formats through major online retailers.
According to the foundation, the origins of its work date back to the height of Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS crisis, when hundreds of thousands of children were left without parents or the means to continue their education.
Rather than waiting for external intervention, Tsitsi and Strive Masiyiwa mobilised available resources and established Higherlife Foundation in 1996 to support affected communities.
Nearly three decades later, the foundation has awarded close to 500 000 scholarships and expanded into one of Africa’s most influential philanthropic institutions.
Operating in Zimbabwe, South Africa and other parts of the world, Higherlife Foundation continues to partner governments, communities and development organisations to promote long-term social and economic progress across the continent.
Leave Comments