Our story begins in 2005 in Bangkok (Thailand), Massan D’Almeida, an experienced women’s rights activist will have the idea to create a funding and support mechanism for organizations promoting women’s rights after the donors’ meeting and the presentation of the action-research report on “Where is the money for women’s rights?” during the 10th Forum organized by the Association for Women’s Rights and Development (AWID) on the theme “How does Change happen?”
Thanks to the AWID Seed Grant, awarded as part of the funding for innovative ideas born at the Forum, she will materialize part of her idea by creating in 2006 he Network of Women’s Organizations in Francophone Africa (ROFAF) which will aim to create an interactive space for exchange on issues related to the financing of women’s NGO activities in Francophone Africa. And to pursue this vision, the other part of the funds will be allocated to incubate the ROFAF in the form of a grant program for the creation of a fund for francophone women.
Over the years, the program will reveal many limitations related to its ability to mobilize significant resources to be reallocated, to coordinate the entire grant-making process and to monitor the funded projects.
Consequently in 2015, the initiator will decide to redefine her original idea and create an autonomous fund for Francophone women to address the funding challenges faced by Francophone women’s rights organizations and activists. Thus, on September 01, 2015 in Lomé, Togo, the XOESE Fund for Francophone Women was born.
XOESE [hᴐèsé] or [hᴐԑse] is a word that means “Believe in it” or “Believe it” in Mina and Ewé – two African lingua francas spoken in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin. It refers to a hope that is nurtured in spite of the pitfalls and obstacles encountered along the way. From this hope, a bold vision has been built that is at the heart of our work for the well-being of Francophone women and that places XOESE as The Pioneer Fund for strengthening the Francophone movement.
