In March 2026, the African Visionary Fellowship Summit brought together a group of leaders in Nairobi for its second convening. For Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff, Executive Director and Founder of the Gender and Justice Unit, and a 2025 fellow, this was not simply a return. It was a continuation. A deepening of relationships, of learning, and of what it means to lead within a community that is intentionally being built over time.
The summit also welcomed the 2026 fellows, expanding a network that is steadily growing into something more than a fellowship. There is a sense of continuity in the room, and also a shared understanding that this work is carried forward collectively.
A central focus of the week was fundraising. Not as an abstract concept, but as a practice that requires clarity, honesty, and alignment. Fellows engaged directly with donors, testing how they speak about their work, refining how they position it, and sharpening what they are asking others to invest in. For the Gender and Justice Unit, this comes at a critical moment. As the organisation continues to grow, the ability to clearly articulate its model is directly linked to its ability to scale its impact.
This was evident during the pitch sessions, which formed part of the preparation for global platforms such as the Skoll World Forum in April 2026. Sarai presented the Gender and Justice Unit’s model of legal empowerment, a continuum that moves from IVR access points to mobile clinics, community liaisons, and mobile courts. The response from funders was not only positive, but specific. The model was understood. The pathway was clear. And that kind of clarity is essential when building work that requires sustained, long-term investment.
The summit also created space for direct engagement with communities. Sarai joined a visit to the Garden of Hope Foundation in Kibera. Walking through Kibera is an experience that resists simplification. The narrow pathways, the crossings over polluted water, the density of everyday life unfolding in close proximity. It is immediate and immersive. Within that context, there were moments that shifted perspective. Young people stood and pitched ideas for their communities, thinking through how to organise, how to generate income, how to build something where they are. Women demonstrated how they make liquid soap, explaining each step of the process and how it translates into livelihood. These are not abstract examples of resilience. They are practical, lived solutions. They reflect communities that are already building. What remains critical is whether there is consistent, respectful investment to support that work.
Another dimension of the summit was storytelling. Fellows interviewed one another and recorded podcast conversations that capture the work behind the work. Sarai recorded a podcast sharing the story of the Gender and Justice Unit, offering a deeper look into the organisation’s approach to legal empowerment and the thinking that shapes it. The podcast will be released in the coming months.
The summit also revisited the Crucible leadership experience, with sessions led by Benjamin Kamoye and Rosie Lore. These sessions created space for reflection that is often difficult to access in the pace of day-to-day work. For Sarai, this process continues to influence how leadership is held, particularly in relation to resourcing and long-term strategy.
Alongside all of this, there was a deliberate and consistent integration of joy.
Play was not treated as separate from the work. It was built into the structure of the week. There were games, shared laughter, and moments of lightness that created space for release. Fellows organised a karaoke night, which quickly became a space of connection beyond formal roles.
One evening, the group travelled across the city in a traditional nganya. Loud, vibrant, and unmistakably Kenyan, the journey itself became part of the experience. Arriving together, carrying that energy into a more formal setting, created a moment that reflected both contrast and confidence.
The final evening was marked by a Wakanda-themed dinner at Carnivore Restaurant. Fellows arrived in bold African attire, with face paint and colour, bringing a sense of pride and celebration into the space. It was not simply a closing event. It was an expression of identity and belonging.
Across the week, what became clear is that the seriousness of this work cannot be separated from the joy that sustains it. There was space to be seen. To feel safe. To engage deeply with the work of others. And in that, to recognise both the differences in context and the shared weight of leading change across the continent.
The Segal Family Foundation continues to distinguish itself not only through funding, but through how it invests in people. The fellowship builds relationships, trust, and networks that extend beyond a single programme. For the Gender and Justice Unit, the African Visionary Fellowship has been a significant part of its journey. Beyond financial support, it has shaped how the organisation thinks, positions its work, and moves forward. It has, in many ways, shifted the organisation’s trajectory.
The Gender and Justice Unit remains deeply grateful to be part of this community, and for the existence of spaces that recognise the importance of investing in both the work and the people leading it.
Sarai leaves the summit with renewed clarity, grounded in purpose, and with a strengthened commitment to building pathways to justice for women that are rooted in the realities of their lives.
