Five years of sustainable change, social impact, and business growth in Africa
A lot can happen in five years. And for this grant-making foundation, time has offered it the perfect opportunity to better the lives of people across Africa. Since its launch, it has been devoting its support to sustainable initiatives – those working to solve the continent’s social, economic, and environmental challenges in tangible ways that make a real impact.
Marking a milestone
“Over the past five years, we have seen a constant need to create and support ecosystems for businesses and innovation to thrive in,” says Osayi Alile, CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation – a non-profit organization that exists to give African changemakers the support they need to deliver high-impact solutions to vulnerable societies.
As well as providing grants to initiatives that have a vision for sustainable action, the foundation facilitates strategic training around organizational development, impact measurement, and board governance. It also establishes reliable partnerships between the private, public, and social sectors, which Alile believes are only as effective as the structure, teamwork, and culture that underpin them.
Marking five years of social impact in Africa, ACT Foundation prides itself on its ongoing effort to improve personal health, empower business entrepreneurship, train tomorrow’s leaders, and protect the environment. Since 2016, it has built partnerships with over 80 organizations and supported 120 interventions across the continent, reaching over 2 million people in 811 communities.
Teaching life-saving principles
The health and well-being of marginalized people in Africa is a top priority for ACT Foundation. Focusing specifically on Cancer, Malaria, Maternal and Child Health, it has supported 45 health interventions to date, including the funding of the Nigeria-based non-profit, Project Pink Blue. From cancer awareness and free screenings to patient navigation and healthcare training, it makes every stage of cancer care accessible to hard-to-reach communities.
Always seeking out new opportunities to stimulate action against cancer in Africa, Project Pink Blue formed a partnership with ACT Foundation. In 2018 and 2019, they worked together to screen over 3200 men and close the knowledge gap on prostate cancer in rural Nigeria. And since 2021, they have trained over 500 health professionals to strengthen the capacity of quality cancer care.
The collaboration between Project Pink Blue and ACT Foundation marks a significant shift in the development of critical research into the cancer care needs of African people.
Changing the narrative
In just five years, ACT Foundation has helped educate over a million Africans about cancer, enroll more than 2000 girls in STEM training, train almost 3000 students in leadership, and provide around 16,000 vulnerable households with access to safe drinking water. These feats would not have been possible without the vision of one of Africa’s leading financial service providers: Access Bank.
Access Bank launched ACT Foundation to create positive social change across Health, Environment, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership as a means of accelerating the growth and development of Africa. As Alile explains, “Access Bank recognized the need for an indigenous grant-making organization that would play a significant role in positively changing the African narrative.”
Up until recently, Africa had been associated with poverty, conflict, and poor leadership, confining its potential within the borders of misinterpretation. Only when perceptions are changed will the world appreciate the continent for what it truly is – a place where industries, communities, and the environment can thrive.
To change its fortunes, we believe that the continent must look within and make significant investments in education, health, enterprise development, environmental sustainability, and leadership.
Osayi Alile, CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation
Building a better future
ACT Foundation is only at the beginning of its journey towards developing a sustainable, innovative, and empowered Africa. “As an organization geared towards sustainable impact, we hope to build more effective partnerships across all sectors, providing strong value and promoting positive change in Africa,” reveals Alile.
And if the foundation has taught African communities anything, it is that collaboration is the basis of change. Working together, they can take on the various socioeconomic challenges that threaten their continent and build a future where everyone can be, do, and dream more.
