We invest in economic development programmes and ventures to deliver sustainable impact.
Pharo Foundation / our work across four countries.
Across Africa, the donor funding that has long underwritten development is contracting, and the communities that depended on it are being left exposed.
We are built the other way around. One permanent funder, teams that operate directly on the ground, and businesses that turn local value into the capital that sustains the work. Education builds capability, water and health unlock productivity, and Pharo Ventures funds the mission by 2035.
Our measure of success is the day a programme no longer needs us.
Our three core missions are sequenced under Educate, Unlock and Build. They run as separate programmes, with shared research and evaluation infrastructure.
Thriving economies require skilled and capable workers. We invest in educational institutions that prepare the next generation of workers, entrepreneurs and leaders.
In water-scarce environments, households face constant uncertainty. We build climate-resilient water infrastructure that stabilises livelihoods and allows communities to plan for the future.
Even when people are trained, barriers can prevent them from accessing productive employment. We invest in improving skills, strengthening firms and reducing barriers in labour markets, while creating new jobs through our schools and ventures.
What we have built so far, with the work that produced it. Every number is footnoted to a source in our annual report.
Enrolled across 8 schools in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda, 2025.
Across 3,040 households, through Pharo Dams in Somaliland.
Across eight hafir dams in Somaliland.
Sesame and sunflower processing in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia.
Edible oil, concrete, Ken Tuna fisheries, machine rentals and venture building across four countries.
Through NCD care and community health screening in Somaliland, plus vocational skills training.
We operate where we are needed and where we know the ground.
Follow our work through a monthly newsletter, the Afri-CAN podcast, project deep-dives, ExCo roundtables, a long-form conversation with the founder, and our peer-reviewed research output.
Voices from academia, philanthropy and business.
The founder on long-horizon capital and culture.
A short introduction to the Foundation.
The Foundation works with six distinct audiences. Each has a specific next step. Pick the one that fits and we will send you the right materials and the right person.
Operator roles across the four countries and the Nairobi headquarters. Long-horizon contracts.
For organisations that want to co-fund a defined programme inside our strategy.
Our research and evaluation library, including CEGA-co-authored publications.
For Pharo Management staff and suppliers. Volunteer days, secondments, board observerships.
For family offices, philanthropists and foundations exploring operator-led capital deployment.
For families considering a Pharo School in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Kenya or Rwanda.