Partner, Fundraising for Impact

Cynthia Chigwenya is a political researcher and pracademic with experience in policymaking. Her advocacy is grounded in research, having worked at think tanks and published on topical issues, including climate finance in emerging market economies, green bonds and data-informed governance. She holds a B.Soc.Sci in Criminology and International Studies, a Bachelor of Arts, Hons. (summa cum laude) and an MA in Development Studies (Wits), having focused on transitional justice in post-genocide Rwanda, Zimbabwe’s peacebuilding mechanisms, and conflict mediation in South Sudan. She is a TEDx speaker, recognised as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) global 100 under 40 awardee in Politics and Governance and has spoken at various symposia, including the EU-AU Summit. In 2023, she briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on future-proofing trust for peacebuilding. Cynthia is an AU certified election observer, who previously held research positions in the South African Parliament and at the National Genocide Commission in Rwanda. She served as the African Union’s Youth Ambassador for Southern Africa from 2022-2024 and worked as a coordinator of the political dialogue for sub-Saharan Africa programme at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Cynthia has collaborated with various organizations promoting the Agenda 2063 and SDGs and she sits on the Youth Advisory Council of the Dallaire Institute.