{"id":5837,"date":"2026-02-27T12:01:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dioraphte.nl\/nieuws\/a-new-strategic-focus-let-local-communities-take-the-lead\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:11:06","slug":"a-new-strategic-focus-let-local-communities-take-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"nieuws","link":"https:\/\/dioraphte.nl\/en\/news\/a-new-strategic-focus-let-local-communities-take-the-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"A new strategic focus: \u2018Let local communities take the lead\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cate Nyambura has always dedicated herself to the cause of sexual and reproductive health and rights of African communities. As the new Africa advisor, Kenya-based, she explores and initiates projects that strengthen local communities in achieving their own goals. \u2018Dioraphte has taken a bold step by choosing a clear new focus in their philanthropic strategy in Africa.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u2018The world is interconnected. Building up real understanding of what is important cannot be done at arm\u2019s length. It\u2019s better to immerse yourself and really feel the possibilities of meaningful change that comes from within communities.\u2019 Cate Nyambura has a strong conviction: the best way of facilitating impactful initiatives is to be at the frontline. Her years of working at a grassroots level have brought her to this position. \u2018Being present enables me to better understand the culture of the local people involved. Reading a written proposal and seeing the actual work on the ground are really two different things.\u2019<\/p>\n\n

Full member of the team<\/h2>\n\n

Educated in public policy, gender studies and biomedical research, Nyambura is an experienced consultant for community-based, regional and global initiatives in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Her topics range from adolescent health, HIV\/AIDS prevention and treatment, to gender-based violence prevention, and more. In July 2025 she started in her advisory role at Dioraphte. Nyambura will lead the further development and implementation of the new strategy on SRHR on the African continent. As a full member of the team of advisors she will operate from Kenya.<\/p>\n\n

Taking bigger steps<\/h2>\n\n

The Netherlands wasn\u2019t new to Nyambura. Some 11 years ago her first trip outside of Africa was to Noordwijk. \u2018Many international meetings about my topics of interest are held in the Netherlands. The Dutch have always invested heavily in promoting SRHR around the globe.\u2019 She is positive about the direct and straightforward communication style the Dutch are known for. \u2018It suits me well; I consider myself one of the most direct and straightforward Kenyans\u2019, she says with a smile. \u2018A certain directness makes things much more efficient, so that one can take bigger steps.\u2019<\/p>\n\n

Decline in government funding<\/h2>\n\n

Taking these steps is more than necessary, she adds, in a world in turmoil with many certainties at stake. Geopolitical issues, such as the war in Ukraine, lead to changing priorities for European governments. \u2018Reallocating public spendings to domestic security heavily impacts budgets for development aid. On top of that we experience radical cuts from the Trump-administration. Worldwide there is a major decline in government funding, and philanthropy has to try and fill at least some of the gaps.\u2019 Apart from declining budgets, many countries are swinging towards the political right. This is especially challenging for SRHR topics that are likely to be scrapped from the agenda under right-wing policy, Nyambura says.<\/p>\n\n

Invest in local initiatives<\/h2>\n\n

Nyambura is convinced that the renewed Dioraphte strategy in Africa is needed to make a difference. \u2018Our grant budget will never fill the gaps, so it\u2019s even more important to fund local communities and enabling them to meet their own priorities. Our strategy is to let people in the frontline in charge. As a pan-African feminist, I\u2019m very much inspired by a quote from the McArthur Foundation on funding of black feminist initiatives. It says: this is the time to fund movements and fund them like you want them to win. Where the large-scale funders pack up and go, it\u2019s up to smaller philanthropical organisations to invest in locally rooted initiatives. The future is community-based and community-led.\u2019<\/p>\n\n

\n

“It\u2019s a change that will make African communities win”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

New partnerships<\/h2>\n\n

In the first half year as an advisor for Dioraphte, Nyambura set up ten new partnerships. She gives two examples. One is the Young African Women Initiative, with a project on de-stigmatising teenage pregnancy and supporting holistic interventions. \u2018It\u2019s about building skills and self-confidence and offering pathways for re-entry back to school. Or \u2013 if going back to school isn\u2019t possible \u2013 giving access to livelihood. So teenage mothers can take good care of themselves and their children.\u2019 The other example is Golden Boots Uganda, an initiative that combines sports tournaments with a festival style market. Young people will find information and have access to services like contraception, cervical cancer screening and HIV testing.<\/p>\n\n

Do things differently<\/h2>\n\n

The new Africa strategy for which Nyambura is responsible, will not only change the focus to specific SRHR issues, like in these two examples. It also differs \u2013 as she puts it \u2013 in terms of \u2018how and whom we want to walk and work with.\u2019 Nyambura: \u2018Philanthropy can take risks that many other funders cannot. I applaud the board of Dioraphte for making such a bold shift in the strategy. Thematically this is important and very timely, because SRHR issues are strongly politically contested. Moreover, Dioraphte has made a firm choice of putting local communities and their organisations in the lead. Recruiting me, based in the continent, is a clear sign of Dioraphte\u2019s commitment to do things differently. It\u2019s a change that will make African communities win.\u2019<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n
\n

Change of focus: a responsible exit strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From 2025 onwards Dioraphte will continue its support in Africa, but with a specific focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights of vulnerable adolescent girls and boys aged 10\u201319, and young people up to 35 years old, who are at higher risk of unintended and\/or early pregnancies. The focus of the strategy is sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence prevention and response, and access to safe abortion and post-abortion care. We believe these interventions foster healthy development and transformation in adolescents\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a new focus \u2013 both thematically and in our shift to merely local partnerships \u2013 has a major impact on many of our existing partnerships. Because we cherish what we have built up together, sometimes over many years, we don\u2019t just say \u2018goodbye\u2019. Dioraphte has developed an exit strategy which includes a thorough evaluation process with all our 80 existing partners, in many cases combined with an exit grant. Dioraphte has appointed a temporary advisor for one year to handle this properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cate Nyambura: \u2018Even though we have reached a point of separation, the work these organisations do is still important for African communities. I\u2019m happy to see that Dioraphte puts a lot of care and thoughtfulness in the exit process. Our former partners will always be valuable players in the Dioraphte ecosystem. Our thematic priorities may have shifted, but I\u2019m sure these former partners will still be great ambassadors for our work.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cate Nyambura has always dedicated herself to the cause of sexual and reproductive health and rights of African communities. As the new Africa advisor, Kenya-based, she explores and initiates projects that strengthen local communities in achieving their own goals. \u2018Dioraphte has taken a bold step by choosing a clear new focus in their philanthropic strategy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5821,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5837","nieuws","type-nieuws","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA new strategic focus: \u2018Let local communities take the lead\u2019 - Dioraphte<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dioraphte.nl\/en\/news\/a-new-strategic-focus-let-local-communities-take-the-lead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A new strategic focus: \u2018Let local communities take the lead\u2019 - Dioraphte\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cate Nyambura has always dedicated herself to the cause of sexual and reproductive health and rights of African communities. 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