Champions of Change Trust Diaspora Fund
Champions of Change Trust backs a parent-led network advancing advocacy and inclusion for disabled children in Africa.
The Champions of Change Trust was started by Shona, a mother of three children, one of whom has cerebral palsy. It was established to strengthen the knowledge, agency, and collective voice of parents of children with disabilities, enabling them to advocate for their children’s rights, inclusion, and full participation in family, community, and society.
Friends of the Champions of Change Trust is a US-based philanthropic giving vehicle that mobilises African diaspora and allied philanthropy to support and grow this parent-led network of caregivers of children with disabilities across Africa.
Across much of Africa, parents of children with disabilities, particularly mothers and primary caregivers are left to navigate exclusion, stigma, and fragmented systems with little information or support. Many are isolated from peer networks, excluded from decision-making, and treated as passive recipients of services rather than as experts and decision-makers in their children’s lives. Friends of Champions of Change was created to address this gap by investing in parents as leaders, advocates, and change agents, grounded in African values of Ubuntu, family responsibility, shared care, and collective action.
The parent network supported by Friends of Champions of Change emerged from decades of community-based disability inclusion work within the Shonaquip Social Enterprise ecosystem. Long-term engagement with families, therapists, educators, and communities revealed a consistent truth: when parents are informed, connected, and confident, outcomes for children improve and systems become more responsive. The Champions of Change network was therefore established to connect, formalise, and strengthen parent leadership, peer learning and advocacy.
The network focuses on building knowledge and agency as the foundation for lasting change. Parents and caregivers participate in peer-learning groups, leadership development processes, and community dialogues that deepen understanding of disability rights, inclusive education, child development, and access to appropriate assistive technology. Through these spaces, parents gain practical skills and confidence to engage schools, health services, community leaders, and policymakers moving from isolation and silence to influence and collective voice.
Insights reflected in the ShonaquipSE 2025 Impact Report demonstrate that parent engagement is a critical driver of sustainable impact. Parents involved in ShonaquipSE-linked programmes report increased confidence in advocating for their children, improved understanding of inclusive education pathways and assistive technology options, and stronger participation in local decision-making spaces. The report further highlights that informed and organised caregivers play a vital role in ensuring consistent device use, school participation, and positive long-term developmental outcomes for children with disabilities.
Current activities supported through the Friends of Champions of Change model include parent peer-learning and support groups, rights- and knowledge-based training, community advocacy forums, and the integration of parent leadership into inclusive early childhood development, education, and assistive technology initiatives. The approach intentionally centres lived experience while fostering solidarity among families who might otherwise remain invisible, isolated, and disconnected.
Looking ahead, Friends of Champions of Change aims to expand and deepen this work by scaling parent leadership and knowledge-building programmes to new communities and countries, strengthening regional peer networks, and supporting structured parent advocacy at school, district, and policy levels. Future activities will also focus on amplifying parent voices in systems reform related to inclusive education, assistive technology provision, and family-centred health and social services.
Friends of Champions of Change operates in partnership with the Champions of Change Trust and the wider Shonaquip Social Enterprise ecosystem in Southern and East Africa, ensuring strong governance, safeguarding, and technical support while preserving the autonomy and leadership of parents themselves. This partnership model allows parent-led initiatives to be rooted in community realities while benefiting from decades of institutional experience and evidence-based practice.
For African diaspora donors, Friends of Champions of Change offers a meaningful and dignified way to give back, investing not in charity, but in families, leadership, and African-led solutions. By supporting parents to claim knowledge, voice and agency, donors contribute to long-term systems change that strengthens children, families, and communities, ensuring that children with disabilities are recognised not as burdens, but as fully valued members of society with rights, hope, and infinite potential.