Our Philosophy
Ahaki uses Africentric approaches within a national, regional, Pan-African and global context to achieve its aims.
Ahaki interprets Africentrism through the lens of;
- Positive African narratives;
- Engaging the African regional and sub-regional institutions like the African Union (AU), East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD);
- Supporting and collaborating with African NGOs; and
- Engaging African experts and individuals on African perspectives with in global conversations on health, human rights, and the historical, social and political determinants of SRHR.
Our Africentrism approaches focus on Four Pillars;
Pillar 1: Positive African Narrative
This pillar is grounded on the notion that communities are depositories
of knowledge and as thus endorses positive African narratives that
promote human rights and social justice. We decolonize research from
a Western notion by brining to the fore African narratives. We revisit
African cultures, practices, norms and values and extract the positives
aspects that advance the discourse on health, human rights and SRHR.
The aim is to ensure that Africa tells its own stories grounded in its rich
history / herstory that has over the years been reported by different
scholars from different jurisprudence without the lens of appreciative
questioning. This pillar helps to reimagine African narratives that
contribute to the current global discourse on health, human rights
and SRHR. It also enables the infusion of Africentric analyses as an
essential building block to achievement of equitable access to health
and SRHR. And more importantly this pillar reconciles African cultures
with constitutionalism, basic human rights principles and social justice.
Pillar 2: African Institutions
At Ahaki, we believe in the power of African institutions and their
potential in informing the discourse on health, human rights and SRHR.
These African regional and sub-regional institutions include: The
African Union (AU), The East African Community (EAC), The Southern
African Development Community (SADC), The Economic Community
of West African States (ECOWAS), The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Community of
Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD), Economic Community of Central
African States (ECCAS) and, The Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD). We also believe in pursuing greater rights by
engaging with African regional human rights mechanisms such as:
The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACPHR), The
African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) and East African
Court of Justice (EACJ) among others. We work with these institutions
and mechanisms to identify opportunities that contribute to policy
decisions and directions that impact on African societies.
Pillar 3: Institutional Capacity Enhancement for African Organisations
Ahaki focuses on building accountable and sustainable African-based
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that undertake strategic advocacy
work and amplify the African narratives to inform the work on health,
human rights and SRHR. The capacity enhancement interventions
include: institutional strengthening on resource mobilization, regional
strategic litigation, advocacy capacity assessments for CSOs and;
advocacy on health, human rights and SRHR. Ahaki also focuses
on supporting African CSOs to identify resources that are critical
in advancing the work on health, human rights and SRHR. Through
creating agency, we believe that African CSOs can acquire the potential
to highlight African problems and solutions that enhance communities
in Africa. This enables African CSOs to engage on African problems
through engaging Africans.
Pillar 4: Capacities of African Individuals
Ahaki provides opportunity and space for African scholars (active and
retired scholars), researchers, think-tanks, retired experts, activists and
communities to undertake work that expounds the African narratives
to influence African policy directions through evidence-based
engagements. Ahaki also targets practitioners that are already focused
on health, human rights and SRHR within the public/government
sector, academia, CSO sector and private sector and capacitates them
through experience sharing, think tanking, fellowships and mentorship.
Ahaki is the space for individuals to focus on research and alternative
thinking, a free space for contestation.
Our Areas of Work
Our areas of work are achieved through three Key Interventions as elaborated below;
Evidence generation:
We conduct research on health, human rights and SRHR with the aim of building onto the body of knowledge that influences policy. Through appreciative questioning, we design and implement a research agenda that incorporates indigenous
knowledge in advocacy best practices. Our approach integrates participation, social mobilization, community-based research, partnerships and collaborations across African and global institutions.
Advocacy Capacity Enhancement:
We enhance advocacy
capacities of stakeholders in health, human rights and SRHR through
our Africentric approaches. Using our robust infrastructure and
strategic collaborations at the national, regional and global level, we
deliver practical and relevant trainings. Our focus areas under this
include: development of curricular and course modules, customized
trainings, fellowship programs, mentorships, exchange learning and
knowledge repository.
Partnership and Collaboration:
Ahaki partners and collaborates
with various institutions at national, regional and global levels to
advance the agenda on health, human rights and SRHR. Through
cross learning, coalition building, experience sharing and leveraging
on expertise, Ahaki’s work builds solid relationships that advance the
the potential of Africa and Africans to influence the agenda in health,
human rights and SRHR.
Regionalism
The regionalism sub-strategy is anchored under pillar number two (2) of Ahaki’s Strategic Plan (SP) which is focused on “African Institutions” and their respective Human Rights Mechanisms at the regional and sub-regional levels. This work is realized through pooling resources, ideas, and coordinating solutions to create more effective planning and implementation of strategies for regional institutions to advance health, Human Rights and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) within Africa.