🌍 Day Two at the SAMEA 9th Biennial Conference: Stories of Hope and Change - African Campfire-style Yesterday, at South African Monitoring Evaluation Association SAMEA Conference, we connected with fellow delegates and exhibitors in the vibrant, conversational flow of African storytelling—sharing tales of hope, change, and impact through organic networking. The energy at our stand has been electric, with delegates stopping by for our Vuka Nougats—the perfect pitstop fuel! Our visual representation of “building the nation collectively” is steadily growing, brick by brick. A big highlight for our team was the thought-provoking keynote address by the powerful Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, who has had a celebrated career as an activist, medical doctor, academic, businesswoman and global thought leader. Her keynote reminded us to exercise robust reporting standards, ensure our voices are heard, and act with integrity—both personally and professionally. Her message of embracing Africa’s generosity as the cradle of humankind was especially poignant, urging us to challenge limiting ideas of identity and belonging. The panel discussion, facilitated by Ian Goldman of the International Evaluation Academy, further expanded on the theme Decolonising Evaluation. Key speakers emphasised the need to decolonise Western evaluation methods and adopt more relevant, participatory approaches for African contexts. From co-designing sustainable frameworks to integrating African storytelling and proverbs into reporting, the focus on community participation was truly eye-opening. The day concluded with a Book Launch where we could engage with leading authors in the Monitoring and Evaluation field. Excited for the last sessions today….Stay tuned for more inspiring insights! ✨ South African Monitoring Evaluation Association SAMEA Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation #SAMEAConference #VucaVuka #CatalysingChange #MonitoringAndEvaluation #NationBuilder #CollectiveImpact #BeANationbuilder #Arise #DecolonisingEvaluation #SAMEA
Loving the VUKE-Nougats and your visual representation of “building the nation collectively” - brick by brick. #SameaConference
Lauren Henning
5mo
Absolutely well done - and a big shout out to Anniza de Wet (née Burnett) !
Community Builder & Storyteller
5moDr Amanda Cox next year 🎉