Contribution short abstract:

The emergence of diaspora philanthropy is fast changing the landscape of aid in Africa especially in the domain of social investment and development of marginalized communities.

Contribution long abstract:

The study examines how diaspora philanthropy is emerging as a development alternative that radically upsets the hegemonic aid structure through the reconsideration of power dynamics. Additionally, the study seeks to analyze whether the crux of collaborative and participatory approaches in diaspora philanthropy actually empowers local communities to proffer decolonization, localization and shifting of power dynamics in development without falling trap to perpetuating the same power relations it seeks to challenge. By dissecting how diaspora philanthropy is different from the white savior donor community the study argues that decolonization is not just about changing the skin color of the donor but the system and methods need to change as well. Theoretically, the study is predicated on the principles of the Bandung conference on decolonization in combination with Julius Nyerere’s Arusha declaration and its principles on self- reliance. Methodologically, the study is anchored on empirical data collected through 15 in-depth semi structured interviews with members of the Zimbabwean diaspora involved in philanthropy and experts in the field of African philanthropy. The study highlights how diaspora philanthropy is becoming a key component of decolonized aid futurities and development. What is distinctive about diaspora philanthropy is its linkages with African traditions and cultures of Ubuntu (“nobody goes hungry in the village”). The rise of diaspora philanthropy has a potential to concretize struggles for alternatives and the decolonization of development, exhibiting how Zimbabweans in the diaspora exercise African humanism as an anchor for social responsibility and self-reliance.