Afri-CAN by Pharo Foundation

Afri-CAN Podcast
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Africa: lost continent, aid-dependent basket case of economic development failures? Forget the old clichés. Francesca Beausang and her guests explore the ideas and concrete innovations through which Africa is becoming a model of innovation-driven development for the world. Afri-CAN is a podcast run by Pharo Foundation, a mission-driven, impact-oriented organisation that designs, funds and operates economic development programmes towards a vibrant, productive and self-reliant Africa.

  1. 14 JAN

    What Eco-Labels Mean for Investors

    Impact investment is booming, and up to half of it now targets environmental goals. But how do fisheries in Africa and other developing regions actually access that capital?  In this Afri-CAN episode, we dig into the blue economy with Kaspar Baumann, Partner at impact-investment firm Clarmondial, and Amanda Lejbowicz, Fisheries Sustainability Expert at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). They explain how fisheries standards and certification work, why investors need robust evidence of environmental performance, and how governments, financiers and coastal communities can align around sustainable fish stocks, decent jobs and export growth.  From improvement programmes and loan guarantees to the realities of measuring environmental impact on the water, this conversation shows how sustainability can move from a label on a packet to a genuine investment signal, and what that might mean for countries such as Somaliland.

    39 min

  2. 16/12/2025

    Development without Destruction

    What happens when environmental sustainability and economic development pull in different directions, and what if they don’t have to?  In this Afri-CAN episode, we sit down with Aziliz Le Rouzo, Researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) leading the Amplifying Stories of Agroecology Practices and Principles (ASAPP) project, and Nhilce Esquivel, Research Fellow and Climate Resilience Lead in SEI’s Sanitation and Health team. Together, they unpack the hard questions: who should be cutting emissions, who is forced to adapt, and why climate change is as much about justice as it is about carbon.  We explore how degrowth and agroecology challenge traditional ideas of “catching up”, and what it means to build food, water and sanitation systems that restore ecosystems instead of depleting them. From Bolivian farmers growing crops at 4,000 metres to African countries navigating green protectionism and carbon border taxes, this conversation asks whether development itself needs to be redefined.  If you’ve ever wondered whether environmental solutions like agroecology and degrowth are realistic in low- and middle-income countries – or how local knowledge and co-creation can reshape adaptation on the ground – this episode is for you.

    38 min

  3. 12/12/2025

    Are Young People Investable?

    When a university degree can increase someone’s income many times over, who should carry the risk of paying for it – the student, the state, or society as a whole?  In this episode of Afri-CAN, we explore how Income Share Agreements (ISAs) are changing access to higher education in Africa. Instead of taking on traditional debt, students commit to paying back a small percentage of their income only once they have meaningful employment, with built-in caps and protections. The result is a revolving fund that can support generation after generation of learners.  Our guests are Batya Blankers, CEO and Founder of Chancen International, and Nkazimulo Zitha, Managing Director of Pharo Schools. Together they unpack what it means to say “youth are investable”, share data on graduation, employment and repayment rates from Chancen’s ISA model in Rwanda and South Africa, and reflect on how Pharo Schools thinks about sustainable financing across its scholarship and school networks. It is a thoughtful, hopeful conversation that goes right to the heart of education, finance and development.

    27 min

  4. 08/12/2025

    From War to Enterprise in Somaliland

    What does it mean to rebuild an economy almost from scratch? In this episode, we travel to Somaliland, a country that emerged from civil war with its private sector in ruins and has had to reinvent its institutions, markets and businesses largely on its own. We speak with Hana Kaise, Co-founder and General Partner of Bilow Capital, and Ahmed Ali Mohamed, Co-founder of Bilow Capital, serial entrepreneur and ecosystem builder, about how they are working from within to unlock the potential of small and medium enterprises. Together, they unpack why finance alone is not enough, how the Bilow Venture Lab helps founders become truly “investment ready” in a Somaliland context, and how the Rise platform is giving diaspora Somalis a trusted path to invest back home. It is a hopeful, grounded conversation about patient capital, collaboration and what it really takes to grow a resilient private sector in a place the world often overlooks.

    33 min

  5. 19/11/2025

    From Information Overload to Better Policy

    We live in an age of information overload, where producing research and “impact evidence” has become a priority, but turning all this knowledge into something that genuinely informs the choices of policy makers remains a major challenge.  In this episode, we look at evidence synthesis, which is the disciplined process of bringing many studies together and analysing them to see what the overall evidence actually shows. Rather than building reforms around a single striking study, we explore what it means to ground decisions in a shared evidence base and how this can change the way education systems learn, adapt and improve over time.  Our guests discuss how this way of working can be woven into the everyday machinery of government, why organisational culture and incentives matter just as much as rigorous methods, and where artificial intelligence might either strengthen or distort the process. From questions of whose evidence is included to the emerging role of “evidence labs” in low- and middle-income countries, the conversation offers a fresh and thoughtful lens on research, power and policy.  Joining the discussion are Samuel Kembou, a global lead for Learning and Evidence at the Jacobs Foundation who helps shape dynamic learning and impact measurement across education systems, and Jonathan Kay, Head of Evidence Synthesis at the Education Endowment Foundation who leads work turning global education research into practical guidance for schools and policy makers.

    41 min

  6. 17/11/2025

    Inside Pharo Foundation’s Camel Cam

    What if artificial intelligence could help us understand water in a way that transforms whole communities?  In this episode, we explore how Pharo Foundation is working with AI, computer vision, and geospatial data to rethink what it means to measure and manage water in Somaliland. We look at why access to water is so central to education, agriculture and livelihoods, and how better information can help development organisations move from good intentions to truly informed decisions.  You will hear how “Camel Cam”, Pharo’s AI enabled monitoring system, is changing the way we see the impact of rural dams and opening new questions about what effective water projects really look like. Rather than focusing on the technology for its own sake, our guests reflect on how AI can act as an accelerator for local expertise, not a replacement for it.  Joining the conversation are Dr Jay Taneja, a computer scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who leads the STIMA Lab on infrastructure measurement and analytics, and Dennis Cheruiyot, a Machine Learning Engineer at Pharo Foundation who builds AI driven monitoring systems for water resources in Somaliland.

    25 min

  7. 14/11/2025

    Satellites, Inequality and the Future of AI

    What if we could see poverty from space and respond to it faster and more fairly?  In this episode, we explore the new frontier of geospatial AI and Earth observation: the science and craft of observing our planet from space and turning those images into insight. From jagged coastlines and dense forests to changing seasons and expanding cities, satellites are quietly capturing the patterns of life on Earth every day.  Our guests unpack how these patterns, when combined with artificial intelligence, can help us understand where need is greatest and how to target support more effectively. They discuss why many popular AI solutions still depend on smartphones and constant connectivity, and why that leaves millions of people invisible to the digital economy. Stories from places like Cameroon and Togo bring this challenge to life and highlight promising examples of geo targeted social protection that work even where the internet does not.  Joining the conversation are Dr Rachel Adams, Founding CEO of the Global Centre on AI Governance and a leading voice on AI, inequality and global governance, and Vivek Sakhrani, Vice President of Product and Solutions at Atlas AI who leads the company’s global Geo AI portfolio across international development and supply chain analytics.  If you are curious about how advanced technology can serve people who are often left out of technological progress, this conversation offers a clear and accessible guide to a complex and rapidly evolving field.

    44 min

  8. 17/10/2025

    Why Culture Matters in Construction

    Across Africa, low cost housing is too often treated as a numbers game. But this episode leans into a different vision: design that is practical and low cost, yet still protective, dignified and rooted in local life. Drawing from work with Ghana’s Ga communities along the West African coast, we explore how thoughtful choices can help increase safety, strengthen communities, and confront everyday environmental pressures like climate constraints and plastic in waterways. We also look at why seemingly simple architecture can create a sense of pride and cultural belonging.   Joining us are Julian Mowbray, Partner at Mowbray Architects, and Maria Alonso, Partner at Mowbray Architects. Together, we unpack how architecture can turn big development ideals into spaces that expand people’s freedoms in daily life.

    39 min
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About

Africa: lost continent, aid-dependent basket case of economic development failures? Forget the old clichés. Francesca Beausang and her guests explore the ideas and concrete innovations through which Africa is becoming a model of innovation-driven development for the world. Afri-CAN is a podcast run by Pharo Foundation, a mission-driven, impact-oriented organisation that designs, funds and operates economic development programmes towards a vibrant, productive and self-reliant Africa.

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