The contribution of charitable foundations to human capital development in the poorest countries: the case of Burundi and Kenya

About the authors:

Vladimir S. Kibukevich, Postgraduate Student, Department of General and Economic Sociology, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia

kibukevich.vs@phystech.edu, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9922-6760

Gulnara F. Romashkina, Dr. Sci. (Soc.), Professor, Department of Economic Security, System Analysis and Control, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia, g.f.romashkina@utmn.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7764-5566, Scopus Author ID: 16437113600, WoS ResearcherID: O-7221-2017

Abstract:

This article examines the activities of charitable foundations in Burundi and Kenya through the lens of theories of human, social, and cultural capital, as well as the concept of the gift. The study is based on eight interviews conducted with volunteers and staff members of foundations operating in these countries. The analysis is grounded in an interpretivist approach. The research reveals tensions between the declared aims of aid provision and underlying motives such as soft power, symbolic exchange, and the filling of institutional voids. The findings indicate that state education systems in Burundi and Kenya are largely ineffective, creating space for informal actors such as charitable organizations and NGOs. However, their efforts are often fragmented and fail to address systemic issues. Drawing on interviews with volunteers and foundation staff, the authors challenge conventional approaches and offer an alternative interpretation of the role of these actors in the Global South.

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