Visibilize4ClimateAction (V4CA) Project

1. Information to applicants

1.1 Introduction

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an international, non-profit research organization that envisions transforming lives in Africa through research. APHRC conducts policy-relevant research on population and health in Africa geared towards generating high-quality evidence to inform decision-making for an effective and sustainable response to the most critical challenges facing the continent.

APHRC in collaboration with the Center for International Forest Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the University of Nairobi (UoN), PELUM Kenya, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Oxford University, and Loughborough University— along with the county governments of Laikipia, Laikipia, and Turkana and national government line ministries of health and climate change, among others, we will be undertaking a project titled: “Visibilizing Climate Change Impacts on Nutrition and Mental Health among Vulnerable Populations in East African Drylands” (Visibilize4ClimateAction Project), funded by Wellcome.

The Visibilize4ClimateAction project aims to make visible, through research, public and policy engagement, the impact of climate change on the nutritional status and mental health of vulnerable populations in the East African drylands (arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid zones), to catalyze context-specific climate policy and practice change at scale.

The focus of the call for expression is to engage the public on 1) the concept of climate change and its linkage with health for empowerment, 2) co-creation, and co-learning on climate adaptations and mitigation measures (such as agroecology, agroforestry, or rangeland management) in place for practice and policy action,  involving communities in Turkana (Turkana North and Kibish), Samburu (Samburu Central), and Laikipia (Dry Sub-Humid)  counties in Kenya, and the general public. We therefore seek to recruit Community Organized Groups (CoGs) working/operating specifically in Turkana North and Kibish, Samburu Central, and Laikipia West Sub Counties in Kenya, where public engagement will be undertaken.

Expected immediate outcomes of the project are (a) strengthened capacity of the Community Organized Groups (COGs) and a community of practice among community actors on public engagement, focusing on the intersection between food systems, climate change, and health (b) enhanced understanding of communities on the concepts of food systems and climate change, and the intersection between food systems, climate change and health c) co-creation and co-learning on adaptation or mitigation measures specifically agroecological, agroforestry and or rangeland management.

APHRC will provide capacity building for the select COGs on the concepts of climate change and climate action, food security, nutrition and health and their interlinkages; public engagement methods; project management; financial management, policy engagement, communication, and advocacy among other aspects. For greater effectiveness and sustainability of project activities, the project will also gradually undertake to establish a community of practice.

1.2 Project period

February 2024 – February 2027 (36 months)

1.3 Project implementation areas

East African Drylands of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania with a deep dive in Kenya in Turkana, Samburu and Laikipia Counties.

1.4 Project implementation modality

The public engagement activities will be implemented through COGs based in the project’s focal counties of Turkana (Turkana North and Kibish), Samburu (Samburu Central), and Laikipia (Laikipia West).  Priority preference will be given to registered COGs operating as a non-governmental organization (NGO), a community-based organization (CBOs), a community radio station, or a self-help group. Additionally, preference will be given to COGs who have already worked with any of the visible partner’s initiatives. This call for proposals aims to receive applications from capable COGs interested in implementing the project activities around climate change adaptation and mitigation agroecology, agroforestry, and rangeland management in any project implementation areas and have the capacity for

1. The applicant may contact the project team for clarification of any issues related to the EoI, if required. All inquiries can be made in writing to Esther Anono at eanono@aphrc.org and  Alice Ritho at aritho@aphrc.org