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The Higherlife Foundation has released a book chronicling three decades of philanthropic work across Africa, tracing a journey that began with a group of children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS crisis and grew into one of the continent's most far-reaching development organisations.
The book, titled "And Still We Rise: The Power of Philanthropy," was edited by Tsitsi Masiyiwa and her eldest daughter Tanya Masiyiwa, who serves as president and chief executive of Higherlife Foundation. It was launched at Exclusive Books in Johannesburg on March 13. The book is now available globally in paperback, Kindle and audiobook formats through major online retailers.
The foundation was established in 1996 by Tsitsi and her husband, Zimbabwean telecoms and technology billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, as Zimbabwe was deep in one of the worst HIV and AIDS crises on the continent. What began as a scholarship trust to support orphaned and vulnerable children has since broadened into a multi-country operation covering education, healthcare, rural development, sustainable livelihoods and cultural preservation. To date, the foundation has awarded close to 500,000 scholarships.
The book is an anthology of 16 true stories from scholars, educators, health professionals and development practitioners drawn from Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Burundi, South Africa and other African countries. The voices are deliberately chosen to shift the narrative away from donor-led development and toward homegrown leadership and lived experience.
"We became philanthropists not by design, but by doing," Tsitsi said at the launch. "This book is our attempt to be honest about what that means, the failure as well as the breakthroughs, and to show what becomes possible when you commit to a community for the long term."
Tanya put it this way: "With And Still We Rise, we wanted to centre the voices of those who have lived these journeys. These are stories of resilience and possibility of individuals who have not only overcome adversity, but are now leading change in their own communities. It's a reminder that when you invest in people consistently and with purpose, the impact extends far beyond a single life."
The foreword was written by Angeline Murimirwa, chief executive of CAMFED, who described the stories as "powerful examples of what can happen when philanthropy goes beyond charity to genuine investment in human potential."
Strive Masiyiwa, who co-founded the organisation and chairs Econet Group and Cassava Technologies, marked the book's release with a public tribute to his wife and daughter. He invoked Maya Angelou's poem as the inspiration behind the title, writing on LinkedIn that the book is not actually about philanthropy so much as about what people are capable of when given sustained support and belief.
The stories span a wide range of contributors, from entrepreneurs and educators to community health workers, many of whom started as foundation beneficiaries and have since become builders of change in their own communities. The foundation works across 54 African countries through its digital platform and maintains active partnerships with governments and development organisations across the continent.
