Ed Sheeran is right. Ending poverty in Africa will take more than a song

The media has leapt upon comments made on social media by singer Ed Sheeran, who is refusing to add his endorsement to the latest Band Aid single ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’.

Yet Ed is just one of many people who have expressed concerns about the old-fashioned approach to aid for Africa without gaining any real reaction from the media or public. So just like it took Bob Geldof to spark the conversation back in 1984, do we need another rock star to ignite a revolution in how we support the most vulnerable across the world?

If our fundraising offices were closed today, the services we offer would continue to run

In stating that he would have denied use of his voice for the latest single, Sheeran quoted fellow artist Fuse ODG, who said: “While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.”

Re-thinking aid

The harsh truth is that the time of having a photo of a sponsored African child on our fridge may be over. It’s time to rethink how we support Africa – and it will undoubtedly cause Christians to think about how they give their support too.

Ironically, I am in the Houses of Parliament in London as I write this and have spent this week lobbying MPs and discussing this very point. But we shouldn’t need a rock star to get us talking about the use of charity funds.

As the co-founder of Musana - a charity operating in three communities in Uganda, with eight schools that have educated over 8,500 students, hospitals offering more than 40,000 patient visits per year, and employing over 685 full-time employees - we are proof that a new approach can fundamentally change the lives of those we aim to help. God has been so good and blessed us in amazing ways.

The problem with sponsorship

In 2008, my husband Haril and I started Musana after rescuing 80 children from a failing orphanage in Uganda. The children there were starving, sleeping on rocky dirt floors and living amid rubbish. We’d also discovered that the orphanage leaders were profiting from foreign donations without passing funds to the children. We even found out that 80 per cent of the children there weren’t orphans – but they were told if they lied about their parents’ ‘deaths’ they would be given ‘sponsors’!

When we began fundraising to support the children, we did what any good Christian knew would work – child sponsorship! And guess what? It did! More than 50 per cent of our budget was met in one night. But we soon learned that, while admirable and well-intentioned, this approach to development can cause huge problems for the very children we are supposed to be helping.

This model can, in fact, foster an unhealthy reliance among children on donors, affecting their emotional well-being and perpetuating a cycle of dependency. Children would wait restlessly for letters, feeling unloved and forgotten if they didn’t receive them. Those who did get cards became emotionally dependent on them. It fostered inequality because some children received preferential treatment from more generous sponsors compared to others, causing resentment and tensions amongst peers. This led to daily queries from children wondering why their sponsors didn’t love them as much as others.

For mission organisations and charities, relying heavily on foreign funding can hinder efforts to become self-sufficient and locally led, stunting long-term sustainability and innovation. In our case, staff became complacent in raising local funds, knowing that Western money would cover most expenses.

While immediate needs were addressed, systemic issues of poverty and inequality remained, hindering community development. The community referred to Musana as ‘the Mzungu organisation’ (meaning white people) – indicating a lack of local ownership.

Local leadership

Realising these detrimental effects, we re-evaluated and shifted away from child sponsorship, prioritising local leadership, sustainability, entrepreneurship and accountability. Though challenging, this shift was necessary to foster genuine, dignified community development.

What sets Musana apart is its self-sustaining model, where local income, not external donations, supports the entire organisation. Musana’s social enterprises generate income that covers operational costs, creating 100 per cent sustainable businesses that allow profits to be reinvested into the community through education scholarships and medical assistance. This year alone, our Ugandan staff have generated more than £3m in revenues – £400,000 of that is profit that can then be invested back into the community.

Staff became complacent in raising local funds, knowing Western money would cover expenses

If our fundraising offices were closed today, guess what? The services Musana offers in Uganda would continue to run. We have proven that our model is unique and works. We use all donations for growth and replication into more communities, breaking the cycle of dependency.

Because social enterprises do not depend on donations, they can sustain themselves long-term. The community’s investment in Musana enterprises, including schools, hospitals, training centres, restaurants and hotels ensures sustainability and profitability.

This shift from passive recipients of charity to active agents of change embodies true dignity and fosters hope.

So, I stand with Ed Sheeran. His brave and principled comments can act as a catalyst to initiate a new model, one that truly empowers the incredible African people forever. Or, until the words of Ed “everything has changed”.