Throughout the packed week during the United Nation's General Assembly the END Fund participated in some vital moments, creating momentum on a global stage for the future of philanthropy in public health. At our sideline event, Momentum to Milestones, our CEO Dr. Solomon Zewdu highlighted the importance of this gathering and honored our partners alongside our board chair, Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa, who discussed what’s possible when country leadership and sustainable financing drive the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The conversations were energizing, underscoring how far we’ve come — and how much further we can go together. " We gather here not only to celebrate progress, but also to accelerate it," said Amb. Amma A. Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for the African Union's Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development department. " We are all united in one group, eliminating NTDs in Africa. Together we represent the full spectrum of powerful influence needed to end NTDs once and for all. Our fight against NTDs is not just a health challenge, it is a moral test of equity injustice. For too long, these diseases have silenced the poorest and the most marginalized communities, eroding dignity, productivity, and potential." These moments reflect the strength of the END Fund community: working across sectors and geographies to turn shared commitments into real progress against NTDs.

Read up on my take on the launch of the National Youth Development Fund in an interview with Future Media (Namibia) I talk on two important topics: 1.) Where majority of the funds went to, and 2.) What is happening with the other 11,000 applicants not selected in the pilot phase: https://lnkd.in/ddtEsBPB #NYDF #NationalYouthFundNamibia #NationalYouthDevelopmentFund

Today, the children of Latin America and the Caribbean are facing a brighter future, thanks to a new initiative from CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe-. The initiative, Future Bank LAC, aims to mobilize $5 billion over five years to reach 50 million children, adolescents and youth across the region. CAF is the first development bank committed to adopting UNICEF’s Child-Lens Investing Framework. Joining forces with UNICEF, they will incorporate children’s well-being into their investment processes and strategies — inviting prospective partners such as the Qatar Fund for Development and La Caixa Foundation, among others, to join them in improving outcomes for the region, where 45% of children live in poverty. When UNICEF USA launched child-lens investing in 2023 in partnership with UNICEF's Office of Innovation, the vision was for asset managers and asset owners to evolve their investing strategies to intentionally consider children. CAF and the alliance of partners they are creating will help us move closer to realizing that vision. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Dr. Cristina Lustemberg, Minister of Public Health in Uruguay, reminded us of two key messages at today's launch: 1. We cannot have a future without children. 2. In the wise words of Gabriela Mistral, “el futuro de los ninos siempre es hoy. Manana sera tarde” (the future of children is always today. Tomorrow will be too late).

💫 Our support for grassroots organizations goes far beyond funding. One of our favorite findings from our recent Global Impact Study was that our local partners felt like GFC was an extension of their team. That we were there to provide training, networks, advice, and guidance on top of our funding commitments, whenever it was needed most. This approach is what enables us to work in true partnership with organizations, standing alongside them as they create lasting change for children and youth. 💪💛 Read the full Global Impact Study. ➡️ https://bit.ly/48QxI4Y #GlobalImpactStudy #FlexibleFunding #GlobalFundForChildren #Grassroots

🎉This week, The Global Fund received more than US$1 billion in private sector pledges, marking vital progress toward the Eighth Replenishment. These commitments include pledges from the Gates Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), (RED), Goodbye Malaria as well as the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Read the full statement from the Global Fund to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5gn768W

Mosun Layode, Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Forum (APF), brought the message home when she said: "What is concerning is the statistics we're hearing, so how are we really investing our resources. Are we investing these resources in the best way possible? You can invest in all these areas all you want, but if you don't invest in the foundation issues, we'll continue to have a problem." She delivered these remarks at the Strategic Dinner Convening during the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit, themed Investing in Africa’s Foundations: African Philanthropy for Foundational Learning, co-convened by Human Capital Africa, the African Philanthropy Forum, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and the Aliko Dangote Foundation, she underscored the urgency for smarter, more strategic investments in Africa’s education systems. Her message was clear: to transform education for every child, Africa must start by fixing the foundations and financing what is proven to work.

Child-lens investing should be a priority for impact investors because it addresses a third of the world's population, including the billion who live in multi-dimensional poverty. It also means prioritising prevention (nutrition, immunisation, early learning, maternal care, sanitation) and thus averts expensive downstream costs and compounds benefits over a lifetime. UNICEF estimates, for example, that $1 spent on early childhood education generates up to $17 in benefits to society. In this article, Impact Investing Institute programme manager Hugh Stanley describes the Institute's collaboration with Save the Children UK to build a picture of how child lens investing can be delivered effectively and driven higher up the agenda of impact investors. The project comes at an opportune time. In July the UK government announced the £500 million Better Futures Fund, designed to support vulnerable children and families across the UK. #impactinvesting #ChildLensInvesting #PreventiveHealth #ChildProtection #earlyyears Impact-Investor.com UNICEF UK Triodos Bank QBE Insurance Calvert Impact Paul Ronalds https://lnkd.in/eFXfjFuT

PCDP team participated in a panel discussion dubbed 'Child Centered,Youth-focused and Community Led Climate Solutions Driving Africa's Green Transition' at the ACS 2 side event.In his response to Climate Financing, John-PCDP's Director highlighted the objective as: 'Children & youth responsive climate finance should support interventions that uphold the rights of children in all diversity, including: - Addressing their heightened susceptibility -Empower children & youth as change agents -Inform and empower children through skills on leadership & civic engagements. -Fostering Integration in Children and youth programs to enhance sustainability. - create Inclusive systems that open access to resources, ensures equity, transparency and accountability! @Barnfonden @Childfund Alliance @Childfund Kenya #ClimateAction #ACS2 #YoungVoicesMatter

𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 🌍 The 2025 Youth Climate Funding Study by the Youth Climate Justice Fund and ClimateWorks Foundation highlights a major gap: Youth-led climate organizing in underfunded countries would need an additional $381 million per year to reach funding parity with the U.S. Beyond the shortfall, youth-led initiatives also receive smaller grants than broader justice-focused climate work, limiting their ability to scale transformative solutions. This is an opportunity for philanthropy to invest boldly in youth leadership worldwide. 🔗 Explore the highlights: https://ycjf.org/ycfs-2025 📊 Download the full study: https://lnkd.in/eBPng5CS  #YouthClimateFundingStudy #YCFS

Nearly all adults over 40 experience presbyopia, a common and easily corrected vision impairment that makes it difficult to focus on nearby objects. Vital Strategies is proud to announce a new partnership with the Livelihood Impact Fund Eyeglasses Initiative to help more people get the reading glasses they need. Together, we’re supporting policies that remove barriers and expand access to over-the-counter eyeglasses, starting in Kenya before scaling globally. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exGmkpbT #WorldSightDay