Lydia’s journey from lived experience to leadership has shaped her deep commitment to reimagining how funding flows to youth, women, and girls. What began with a heartfelt letter has grown into a bold mission: to become the kind of funder who takes risks, listens closely to communities, and invests in potential especially where others see risk.

She is actively working to dismantle power dynamics in philanthropy by:

• Funding youth-led organizations, especially those led by young women advancing gender equality and girls’ rights. Each year, Lydia commits personal income and mobilizes her network to provide unrestricted, flexible funding to grassroots groups using a community-first approach.
• Mentoring and coaching youth leaders in the development space to build confidence, resilience, and organizational sustainability.
• Writing and blogging to disrupt the current funding discourse, advocating for equity, trust-based philanthropy, and the urgency of investing in local leadership.Consulting with organizations to develop more inclusive, locally informed funding strategies.

Lydia is also deeply motivated to amplify Africa’s rich culture of giving, believing that Africa can solve its own challenges when communities are resourced, trusted, and empowered to lead. Her work seeks to revive and scale this spirit of collective responsibility, generosity, and homegrown solutions.