Founded in 2016, Watipa is a social enterprise working to enable equal societies, just development and equal health for all. We provide tailored consultancy services to inform and catalyse positive social change. All our profits and 10% of our consultants’ earnings go to support Watipa’s youth scholarship and mentorship programmes across sub-Saharan Africa.
Watipa is named after our friend in Malawi (pictured). Watipa, our namesake, embodies courage, determination and hope for a better, just and more equal future. In Tumbuka, her local language, Watipa literally means ‘has been provided for.’ Watipa is now in secondary school and pursuing her own education. She hopes to one day help develop her local community.
Watipa is founded on pillars of:
- Intellectual excellence and lateral thinking
- Innovations in programme implementation
- Effective advocacy
- Recognition of the power of communities
- Learning from, listening to, and strengthening community participation
- Agility and responsiveness
Our work centres on five main areas: consultancy, research, facilitation, education opportunities and scholarships.
We are an ethical company and aspire to be the change we want to see in the world, and to ‘walk the talk’ of the ethical and community driven approaches to community development that form the core of our work.
Watipa was first registered, on 11 June 2016 as a Community Interest Company (10226833) in London, England. The evolution continued and in May 2017 Watipa was also registered as a charity (1173178) in England and Wales. In Australia, Watipa initially traded under Australian Business Number (ABN) 75480736771 in November 2021, before becoming registered as a Propriety Limited Company (ABN 39 667 584 170) and Company Limited by Guarantee with charitable status (ABN 53668809390) in 2023.