We are faced with a new wave of oppression. Civil liberties and economic progress have been halted and, in many cases, regressed. Resistance is no longer a responsibility, it is a duty. At Kathēkon, we have watched the civic space in Nigeria shrink at an alarming rate. What looked like an inch of oppression is now an acre. What we deemed manageable is no longer tolerable. We realise, just as Dickens once stated, “that we are at ‘the worst of times. . . the age of foolishness, the epoch of incredulity. . . the season of darkness. . . and the winter of despair.” The government has failed the citizens, and the citizens have had to turn to one another for rescue from damnation. In Nigeria, where Kathekon is domiciled, we are witnessing an era we thought was long gone: dictatorship, press suppression, and a possible social media ban. But we are also seeing a fearless generation of young men and women who have died fighting for freedom from police brutality while demanding for better governance.

Kathekon doesn’t seek to play a forefront role. We believe that those with the right conviction, who see change not as a slight continuation of the status quo but an upending of it, should be given all the support they need. Many times, the stories we read of poor health systems, bad education, environmental pollution, corruption, and a general state of hopelessness, repeats itself over and over, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa. And so, we ask ourselves, when will this narrative change?

It is on this note that we ask individuals and organisations whose values are consistent with ours, whose goals for the future are reflected in ours, and whose vision for change is as radical, urgent and pragmatic as ours, to apply for grants. 

As we launch Kathekon today, our focus is not on awards, or publicity. We are interested, deeply, in the grit that change demands. We will spare neither efforts nor funds where we see a potential for radical change. And we will cut funds where projects do not produce intended results. 

Beyond material improvements, we are eager to also change mindsets. And while this is key to the future, it can only be done by consistently being aware of the goal ahead of us, a society where Kathēkon will no longer need to exist.