Excerpt from Adeso’s 2022 Annual Report:
Letter from Degan Ali, Executive Director
The year 2022 represented a major strategic shift for Adeso. Not only did we take bold steps to broaden our scope in our advocacy work to decolonize aid, but we have also embarked on an institutional transformation towards realizing a new way of working – a way that works with and for communities; a way that will liberate us from dependency on aid.
We are grateful to our partners in joining forces with Adeso in our efforts to shift power. I am thrilled to see many of you in the humanitarian and development sectors joining the Pledge for Change 2030, funders committing to directing funding to those most proximate to the issues, bi-laterals re-committing to the Grand Bargain commitments of localized funding; and the many of you who have joined us in dialogues, presentations, convenings, and workshops dedicating your time to our shared vision of a decolonized world. We can’t stop here though. There is work to be done. We must hold ourselves accountable – to one another and to the people and communities closest to the world’s challenges.
At Adeso, we have deepened our commitment to this cause, establishing and leading alternative approaches that are more people-centered. With the launch of Saxansaxo, an approach that puts communities at the center of crisis response, we are optimistic in creating impact where communities lead in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the face of disaster, not just in Somalia but beyond.
We seek funding partners who will fund courageously and trust generously, and who will join us in co-creating a new system driven by equity and impact. We have also taken the bold decision to no longer accept restricted sub-grant INGO funding or bi-lateral funding.
Lastly, I am proud to announce that Adeso is finally operationalizing its vision to become a foundation. Three of our social enterprises – concrete solutions to barriers of systems change – were significantly moved forward with funding from great partners and the potential to earn revenue for Adeso to be empowered financially to continue being a forward-thinking and pioneering organization.
Thank you for continuing to support us in the journey to decolonize aid.
In solidarity,
Degan Ali