The Gathering Picture this… Boiled maize, a cup of tea, chairs arranged in a circle, a fire glowing at one end. Laughter here, hugs exchanged over there, and people gathering to listen to and tell stories. This was the Philanthropy Story Circle that @CivLegacy_F convened last week at @QBookBar And what a beautiful evening it was! We ate, laughed, played, danced and told stories of African giving and generosity. There is something deeply familiar about gathering like this. For generations, our ancestors sat around fires, under trees and in courtyards, sharing stories that passed on wisdom, values, history and a sense of who we are. And that is why these stories matter. Storytelling is not just about remembering the past. It is also about reclaiming our identity and challenging narratives that have portrayed Africa primarily as a place of need and dependency. Our stories remind us that we are givers. We have always been. And our giving takes many forms, some of which we don’t even recognise as philanthropy. Advancing African philanthropy includes telling our own stories, in our own voices, from our own experiences, on our own terms. And if we can do that over boiled maize, a cup of tea and a little dancing, all the better! 😊 Generosity is our bloodline. Generosity is our lifeline! #AfricanPhilanthropy #AfricanGenerosity #StoryTold #OmutimaOmugabi