What does it mean to prosper?
For many young Africans, prosperity is often discussed in terms of jobs, income, entrepreneurship, or access to opportunities. But beneath these questions lies another, deeper one: what ideas and institutions make prosperity possible in the first place?
This question sits at the heart of Philosophers of Prosperity, a project supported by the Whetstone Freedom Fund and being implemented through a collaboration between Malkia Africa Network and partners across Africa.
At Malkia, we believe that meaningful change begins not only with policy, but with the ideas people hold about themselves, their societies, and what is possible. Yet conversations about economic freedom, markets, property rights, individual liberty, and prosperity can often feel distant from the everyday experiences of African women and young people. Philosophers of Prosperity seeks to change that.
Through conversations, reading groups, and spaces for intellectual exchange, the project creates an opportunity for peers to engage critically with the ideas that shape economic and social life. Rather than simply telling people what to think, we are interested in creating spaces where they can ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and develop the confidence to think for themselves.
A key component of the project is the ‘Philosopher Queens’ model, which brings young women into conversations around philosophy, economics, freedom, and prosperity. The intention is not to turn participants into economists or philosophers, but to make important ideas accessible, relevant, and applicable to the choices and challenges they encounter in their everyday lives.
The project also extends beyond our home base in Uganda, with activities planned in Ghana and Morocco, creating opportunities for young Africans from different contexts to exchange perspectives and explore what prosperity means across the continent.
For us, this is ultimately about intellectual agency. Africa’s future will be shaped not only by the policies we adopt, but by the ideas we are willing to examine, defend, question, and replace. If we want a generation capable of influencing economies, institutions, and public policy, we must also invest in their ability to think critically about the foundations of those systems.
Philosophers of Prosperity is our small contribution to that larger conversation: creating spaces where African women can engage seriously with ideas and perhaps, in doing so, become not only participants in conversations about prosperity, but authors of the ideas that will shape Africa’s future.
Mary Joyce Takali is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Malkia Africa Network.
What does it mean to prosper?
For many young Africans, prosperity is often discussed in terms of jobs, income, entrepreneurship, or access to opportunities. But beneath these questions lies another, deeper one: what ideas and institutions make prosperity possible in the first place?
This question sits at the heart of Philosophers of Prosperity, a project supported by the Whetstone Freedom Fund and being implemented through a collaboration between Malkia Africa Network and partners across Africa.
At Malkia, we believe that meaningful change begins not only with policy, but with the ideas people hold about themselves, their societies, and what is possible. Yet conversations about economic freedom, markets, property rights, individual liberty, and prosperity can often feel distant from the everyday experiences of African women and young people. Philosophers of Prosperity seeks to change that.
Through conversations, reading groups, and spaces for intellectual exchange, the project creates an opportunity for peers to engage critically with the ideas that shape economic and social life. Rather than simply telling people what to think, we are interested in creating spaces where they can ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and develop the confidence to think for themselves.
A key component of the project is the ‘Philosopher Queens’ model, which brings young women into conversations around philosophy, economics, freedom, and prosperity. The intention is not to turn participants into economists or philosophers, but to make important ideas accessible, relevant, and applicable to the choices and challenges they encounter in their everyday lives.
The project also extends beyond our home base in Uganda, with activities planned in Ghana and Morocco, creating opportunities for young Africans from different contexts to exchange perspectives and explore what prosperity means across the continent.
For us, this is ultimately about intellectual agency. Africa’s future will be shaped not only by the policies we adopt, but by the ideas we are willing to examine, defend, question, and replace. If we want a generation capable of influencing economies, institutions, and public policy, we must also invest in their ability to think critically about the foundations of those systems.
Philosophers of Prosperity is our small contribution to that larger conversation: creating spaces where African women can engage seriously with ideas and perhaps, in doing so, become not only participants in conversations about prosperity, but authors of the ideas that will shape Africa’s future.
Mary Joyce Takali is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Malkia Africa Network.
Mary Joyce Takali