Africa-wide Resource Mobilization Skill Share workshop kicks off

Resource Mobilization Skill Share workshop of the African Red cross and Red Crescent Societies, a conference organized by ERCS and IFRC and bring together 45 African national societies has begun in Addis Ababa.

Opening the workshop Ato Abera Lulessa, Secretary General of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society said that domestic resource mobilization is not only about securing funds. He said, it is about asserting our independence, reinforcing our credibility and ensuring that our humanitarian mission is owned and driven by the Africans for Africa.

Ato Abera added that one of the eight pillars of the ERCS ‘s newly developed strategic plan focuses on strengthening domestic resource mobilization, and the Society is working to generate 70 percent of its income from local sources and 30 percent from external donor by the end of the strategic period.
The workshop focuses on Digital Fundraising, Asset Management, Corporate Fundraising, Policies and Plans for resource mobilization, Income Generating Activities, Mobilizing Branches for Resource Mobilization and other cross cutting themes.

Speaking at the closing session, Dr Adissalem Mulat, Board Member at ERCS, stressed the need to utilize the continent’s untapped resources. She emphasized generating domestic funding to serve communities across Africa.

Heads of the national societies call for quick action in strategizing the means of generating local funding by mobilizing the private sector to mitigate the risks of shrinking external donor funding.
The participants have visited the ERCS’s training center and showed their interest to share the best practices of income-generating activities at the center, appreciating the outstanding achievements.
