Advising Trusts in Africa

In November 2010, Oliver Maurice spent some time with INTO members in Africa, each at different stages of Trust formation, ranging from the 50 year old, fully fledged, though without management staff, National Trust of Zimbabwe; to a genuine attempt to found a National Trust in South Africa; to the aspirations to found a National Trust in Uganda, where there are staff; and finally to the earliest stage in Ethiopia with a single, inspirational person, trying – and succeeding – to restore and protect a single building but with others in the pipeline.

La Rochelle with members of the Mutare Committee in the foreground

Each country called on a different aspect of Oliver’s role: adviser in Ethiopia; advocate in Uganda; retired National Trust Director in Zimbabwe, writing a report on their major property, La Rochelle; and researcher in South Africa, looking at sites and meeting relevant people to help to obtain a view on the merits of a South African National Heritage Trust.

You can read Oliver’s Summary Report or the individual ones below:

Addis Woubet, Ethiopia

Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda

National Trust of Zimbabwe

National Heritage Trust of South Africa

This visit in 2010 was the seed for many future successes on behalf of the Trusts involved and INTO itself.  It clearly demonstrates the value of the INTO Expert Network service.

As Oliver writes in his final report:

“It is fair to say that no amount of e-mail exchanges can replace the value of face to face meetings and seeing the issues that our members are facing first hand. It was also a huge learning experience for me witnessing what all the countries are currently going through or have been through in the recent past.”