WHAT WE DO
African Road builds bridges of connection
that lead to long-lasting, community-driven results,
with love and devotion at the heart.
African Road comes alongside our Changemaker partners & their local communities in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda & Tanzania. Our work together is built on a foundation of strong friendship and wholehearted relationship. We believe that collaboration, integrity and sustainability are vital to positive change in East Africa. We invest in local solutions, equipping leaders, empowering women and girls, listening and learning- in order to strengthen and spotlight the good work each Changemaker is committed to in their own country and context.
The African Road Model informs what we do, the values that inform our work and the impact of our relational partnerships- Together with our Changemaker partners, and with the African Road community on this side of the world too.
Nurturing Relationships / Vibrant and Respectful Co-creation / Sustained Community Benefit / Thoughtful Reflection / Mutual Learning / Sharing / Love
The African Road Model
Nurturing generative, long-term relationships –
African Road invests in building long-term relationships. We walk alongside grassroots leaders, Changemakers, who are making a difference in their communities in East Africa. We build a bridge of connection between friends on this side of the world and our partners in East Africa. African Road is all of us together.
Co-creating vision for community impact –
African Road works to empower and support East African leaders, by listening, offering support, bringing questions, and offering perspective as partners.
Investing in capacity building and projects for sustained community benefit –
Initiatives bring lasting impact when they consider the needs, capacity and dreams of the community itself. Community ownership and projects that can be self-sustaining bring lasting change.
We place high value on investing in building the capacity of the Changemakers as leaders and as people. We are committed to effectively resource each Changemaker as they work with a vision for the future.
Reflecting, evaluating, and learning –
Thoughtful evaluation guides actions and the funding priorities to improve results. Changemakers, partner communities, and team members reflect and learn from actions they take together.
Forming communities of mutual learning –
African Road is committed to creating a culture of curiosity, connection, and togetherness that impacts and changes all of us. Changemaker partners are valued teachers. Together, we all share insight and learn from one another.
Sharing new insights and resources –
Global friendship and relational partnership changes us all. We share stories, life, and bring what we each have. That sharing goes both ways across the globe.
Love is our source –
African Road is fueled by love. Not soft squishy emotions, but the gritty, deep, genuine commitment to do the hard work together. We build community with heart and care for each other as human beings. As we work together for the kind of world we all want, we become part of something bigger than ourselves. This Love translates into action and keeps us going, with joy and determination.
African Road began with one relationship in Rwanda in 2010, when we formed, to walk alongside one remarkable local leader.
This relational approach, with the commitment to invest in community strengths, led to the gradual formation of the African Road Model, and to ongoing growth of partnerships with more Changemakers.