On 3 September 2025, the HERITΛGE Africa Grants Team held the fourth online networking convening for grantees awarded in 2024. The meeting brought together grantees, Heritage staff, committee members, Mellon Foundation representatives, and other African donors, with 76 attendees.

After welcoming remarks by Richard A. Brown and an introduction to the day’s agenda by HERITΛGE Director, Evangelos Kyriakidis, eleven grantees shared their projects. These ranged from protecting Ethiopia’s Azwa Maryam Monastery to revitalizing Namibia’s Oshikulu Cultural Village, and from creating inclusive museum spaces in South Africa to empowering community-based tourism in Rwanda.

“What we are learning, we are impacting our communities and our leadership to say that this is what we are, where we are going and all of these have been made possible just because we are part of this fellowship”

Moses Mkumpha, Malawi

Following the presentations, the conversation turned to capacity-building and HERITΛGE’s training programmes. Past participants shared how these courses had strengthened their projects, expanded their professional networks, and provided practical skills in fundraising, project management, and heritage conservation. Grantees from Sudan, Nigeria, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Namibia* described how the trainings had been transformative, enabling them to achieve higher success in proposal writing, project implementation, and community engagement, while also inspiring leadership and innovation. The breakout discussions allowed participants to continue sharing experiences and reflect on how these opportunities enhanced their work and impact.

The fourth convening highlighted the value of combining financial support with professional development, reinforcing HERITΛGE’s commitment to strengthening heritage initiatives across Africa and fostering a growing community of heritage professionals. The session left participants energised and motivated to apply their learnings, collaborate across borders, and continue advancing the preservation and promotion of African heritage.

The participants and projects featured were:

Getaneh Addis Tessema, Ethiopia: ‘Protection and Promotion of Azwa Maryam Monastery’
Francis Kwarayire,  Ghana: ‘Re-use of Old Cocoa Shed Building as a Contemporary Art Museum’
Aisha Pearl Mayekiso, South Africa: ‘Creating inclusive museum spaces, products, and services for all’
Adebunmi Akinbo, Nigeria: ‘Restoring Ilukwe House – A research center promoting Nigerian heritage’
Gasenone Kediseng, Botswana: ‘Khama III Memorial Museum Kitchen and Restaurant’
Dounama Biri, Niger: ‘Art Culture and Heritage of the Women of Boubon Niger’
Foday Dampha, The Gambia: ‘Rehabilitation of Genieri Community Museum and Building of Human Capacities’
Ahmed Magem, Nigeria: ‘Restoration, Preservation and Protection of Tangale Culture and Heritage’
Ursha Faal, The Gambia: ‘Fulani Heritage Haven’
Greg Bacunzi, Rwanda: ‘Empowering Youth and Women in Community-based Tourism’
Serak S O Shidhudhu, Namibia: ‘Oshikulu Cultural Village – Revitalizing Cultural Roots: Safeguarding Heritage, Empowering Communities’

This was the fourth out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page.