In a country where access to land often defines economic independence and security, Tanzania’s Liberty Sparks is making a profound difference, especially for women. Through its bold Ardhi Yangu, Maisha Yangu (“My Land, My Life”) initiative, the organization is helping women secure land rights, resolve disputes and understand the legal tools they need to protect their property and their futures.
This groundbreaking work has earned Liberty Sparks a place as one of three finalists for the 2025 Africa Liberty Award, presented by the Atlas Network. The annual award honors think tanks across the continent that are driving real policy change and promoting freedom in practical, measurable ways.
Liberty Sparks stands out for combining grassroots engagement with legal empowerment, bringing direct help to underserved regions while pushing for policy reform. In a region where cultural norms and systemic barriers often limit women’s ownership of land, their work is not only transforming individual lives, it is reshaping communities.
From July 31 to August 1, the winner will be announced during the Africa Liberty Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted in partnership with Students For Liberty. But no matter the final outcome, Liberty Sparks’ impact is already clear.
Breaking Barriers with Grassroots Action in Tanzania
Liberty Sparks’ Ardhi Yangu, Maisha Yangu initiative is focused on one mission: giving women in Tanzania the power to claim and protect their land rights. Since its launch, the project has resolved 227 land disputes, trained 60 paralegals and launched land clinics in 22 regions, reaching over 36,000 people.
The approach is deeply local. By working within communities, training paralegals and running legal education sessions, Liberty Sparks equips women with the tools they need to understand their rights under the law. The initiative also tackles harmful gender norms that often prevent women from owning or inheriting land.
But Liberty Sparks isn’t only about education, it’s about action. The land clinics provide immediate, hands-on support, helping women navigate legal processes and resolve conflicts with landlords, relatives or government officials. In many rural areas, this is the first time women have had consistent access to legal help and policy advocates who speak their language and understand their challenges.
In parallel, Liberty Sparks is using data and case studies to push for broader policy change, urging lawmakers to close the gap between legal protections and real-world enforcement.
Their nomination for the 2025 Africa Liberty Award reflects the powerful intersection of community-driven solutions and national reform. Liberty Sparks is not just advocating for change, it’s delivering it, one case at a time.
Ghana’s ACEYE: Unlocking Youth Potential Through Entrepreneurial Freedom
Joining Liberty Sparks as a finalist is the Africa Centre for Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment (ACEYE), based in Ghana. ACEYE is addressing a different, yet equally urgent issue, barriers to youth entrepreneurship caused by restrictive policies and bureaucratic hurdles.
At the heart of ACEYE’s advocacy is the Regional Entrepreneurship Freedom Index, a tool that measures how each of Ghana’s 16 regions supports or hinders free enterprise. It assesses factors like trade freedom, property rights and the overall business environment.
Backed by more than 250 stakeholders, including embassies and civil society groups, the index is now guiding conversations with policymakers about how to make Ghana more business-friendly for young people.
ACEYE’s work is reshaping how entrepreneurship is understood and supported in Ghana. Through research, stakeholder engagement and direct policy dialogue, they are giving youth a platform to advocate for the conditions they need to succeed.
At a time when unemployment among young Ghanaians remains high, ACEYE is creating a roadmap for opportunity. Their goal is simple but powerful: help young entrepreneurs thrive by giving them the freedom to build and grow businesses without unnecessary roadblocks.
Their place as a finalist underscores how localized data and youth engagement can become tools for national progress.
South Africa’s IRR: Championing Growth Through Market-Driven Reform
The third finalist, the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR), is tackling the country’s entrenched challenges of poverty and unemployment through its Champions for Growth initiative.
The IRR is using eight major policy papers, media outreach and active dialogue to promote free-market solutions and shift public discourse toward economic growth. One of its most influential tools has been the Daily Friend, a media platform that shares insights and analysis grounded in evidence-based policy thinking.
The results have been significant. The South African government’s new coalition has shown signs of realigning policy priorities in line with some of the IRR’s proposals, an indication that sustained advocacy and public engagement can lead to real shifts in national direction.
Through strategic research, storytelling and public communication, the IRR has positioned itself as a vital voice in shaping the future of economic reform in South Africa. They’re not just informing, they’re influencing.
The Champions for Growth project reflects how policy think tanks can remain independent yet still drive national conversations and inspire policy realignment.
Rewarding Impact
The Africa Liberty Award is part of the broader Templeton Freedom Award program, which honors organizations in six global regions that are successfully advancing human freedom through market-based solutions. The program is funded by the Templeton Religion Trust and will distribute $270,000 in total grants to selected organizations.
While only one finalist will take home the Africa Liberty Award in Nairobi, all three represent a growing movement: African organizations driving practical, scalable and deeply local solutions to challenges like land insecurity, youth unemployment and economic stagnation.
The overall Templeton Freedom Award winner will be announced later this year at the Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner in New York City, further spotlighting the achievements of these African changemakers on a global stage.
What unites Liberty Sparks, ACEYE and the IRR is their shared belief that freedom is not a theory, it’s a tool for real change. Whether it’s helping a Tanzanian woman secure the land she deserves, a young Ghanaian launch a business or a South African policymaker embrace growth-focused reform, these organizations are proving that big systems can be changed by focused local action.
The future of economic freedom in Africa is being written by thinkers who act and doers who lead and Liberty Sparks is showing that the path to prosperity can begin with a single plot of land and a simple question: What if every woman had the right to own it?
