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Building a community of African diaspora leaders Africa 2.0 Spain & Ashoka

Spain’s geographical location positions it as a key country of destination for African migrants. Figures from 2019 show Spain has approximately a million people coming from Africa residing in Spain. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognises the potential of these communities and so has highlighted the role the African diaspora could play as economic, political and social drivers for their countries of origin. In its “Plan Africa”, the Spanish Government observes opportunities to link migration to sustainable development through the potential of the diaspora and brain circulation.

Africa 2.0 Spain and its partner Ashoka share the desire to encourage diaspora changemakers and strive to enhance the leadership role of African diaspora across Spain to drive sustainable development in their countries of origin, as well as in Spain.

Beneficiary
Objective
To support the creation of a community of African diaspora leaders in Spain connected to social entrepreneurs in Africa and Spain.
Duration
24 months
SDGs
Key documents

In partnership with

Programme of activities

The action uses training sessions, master classes and peer-learning methods to develop leadership skills and build a community of leaders in Spain. The action also seeks to develop the organisational capacity of Africa 2.0 Spain through knowledge transfer activities, peer learning and mentoring, as well as scoping how to create a diaspora investment vehicle.

Leaders community development
May 22: Mapping of African diaspora leaders

Africa 2.0 Spain and Ashoka Spain mapped 40 African diaspora leaders in Spain. Of the 40 identified leaders, 14 were selected to participate in the action's community-building programme.

Jul 22: First leadership retreat

A residential leadership training retreat took place in Madrid bringing together the action partners and selected leaders. The retreat included a masterclass on "Design thinking" and sessions on leadership in Africa, diaspora as a bridge for growth and development, and communications with a focus on new narratives. Sessions were facilitated by EUDiF, Africa 2.0 Spain, Ashoka and guest experts.

Nov 22 - Apr 23: Online leadership trainings

A negotiation expert provided the first set of online leadership trainings with a focus on negotiation. This two-part training included the critical elements of a negotiation: interests, Best Alternative to a Negotiation (BATNA), standards of legitimacy, and commitment. Further trainings included a session on "systems change" delivered by an Ashoka fellow and a two part training on diaspora investment.

Dec 22: Final leadership retreat

The final leadership retreat took place in Madrid. Sessions included a masterclass on diaspora leadership and investment, systems change, mentorship and greater insight into the offerings of Africa 2.0 Spain and Ashoka.

Organisational development (OD)
Nov 22: Needs assessment

A diaspora expert carried out a needs assessment process which included the completion of a survey and a face to face interview with Africa 2.0 Spain.

Dec 22 - Jan 23: Knowledge transfer events

The outcomes of the assessment process fed into a series of workshops to support the identified gaps. These included: 1. Vision and planning 2. Structure and sustainability 3. Partnerships and relationships.

Dec 22: Peer learning

The expert supporting Africa 2.0 Spain is from the organisation, African Foundation for Development (AFFORD). Peer learning was incorporated throughout the OD workshops as, with over 25 years duration as a diaspora organisation, AFFORD were able to highlight the realities of growing a diaspora organisation.

Jan 23 - Mar 23: Diaspora organisation toolkit

The information gathered from the assessment combined with the areas covered in the workshops were compiled and shaped into a toolkit. The toolkit functions as a guidance document to assist Africa 2.0 Spain adopt the tools and progress their development.

Apr 23: Validation and usage workshop

Africa 2.0 Spain, Ashoka and EUDiF came together for an online validation meeting and workshop to go through the toolkit and handover finalised resources.

Nov 22 - Apr 23: Monitoring and evaluation

An expert from The Social Impact Consultancy (TSIC) carried out a baseline assessment, followed by stakeholder interviews and literature reviews between December 2022 and February 2023. Between February and April 2023, TSIC produced and trained Africa 2.0 on a tailored M&E framework to help the organisation monitor its activities and achieve its ambitions.

Dec 22 - Apr 23: Scoping a diaspora investment vehicle

A diaspora investment expert supported Africa 2.0 Spain in a long-term goal of institutionalising a diaspora investment system for financial and skills investment. This would support entrepreneurs in the Ashoka network and beyond. The format of such a diaspora investment vehicle was scoped based on desk research and partner needs assessment and led to a briefing document as well as an investment vehicle being created for our partners.

“"EUDiF went beyond what was put on paper to support Africa 2.0 Spain. Continuously identifying our needs to support us. It went beyond what was agreed and for this we’ll be forever grateful." ”
Picture of Grace – head shot
Dr Grace Obado, Africa 2.0 Spain

Results

Africa 2.0 Spain completed a baseline and end-line assessment on the level their skills had been enhanced by the development support this action provided.

Growth acceleration (km/h)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Skills to develop a leadership training
Organisation tools to coordinate training
Knowledge of leadership training content
Utilisation of M&E Framework
Organisational structure enhancement
Knowledge of developing a diaspora investment vehicle
Baseline assessment (Month 1) Endline assessment ( Month 24 )
4
Diaspora professionals
120
Staff and beneficiaries trained
100%
Stated increased leadership knowledge and skills

Updates

News • Africa
Matching Spain’s first network of African diaspora leaders with social entrepreneurs in Africa
Read more
News • Africa
Action insights: Meet the African diaspora leaders building a community for change in Spain
Read more
Learning by doing: Professionalisation through governance, leadership and project management
Read more

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