Fifty-Five Groups Shortlisted Amongst Finance Grants Beneficiaries – Hon Mposha
The Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Mike Mposha, has announced that fifty-five community groups have been shortlisted for the first round of climate action grants under the Next Level Grant Facility (NLGF).
The groups, largely informal and based in vulnerable communities across twelve districts, will receive financial support to initiate and scale up their climate initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister at the official launch of the NLGF at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, Director of Climate Change Ephraim Shitima expressed gratitude for officiating the climate finance grants awarding ceremony and dialogue session. The initiative is facilitated by the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) programme.
“The VCA Programme is implemented by a consortium of five organizations and twenty-two local implementing NGOs, including Slum Dwellers International, SouthSouthNorth, Hivos, Akina Mama wa Afrika, and WWF,” said Shitima.
Hon. Mposha emphasized that this gathering goes beyond climate finance discussions to recognize and award fifty-five climate action grants to community groups often excluded from financial support frameworks.
The Community-Led Sustainable Futures Grants, established in Zambia under the Next-Level Grant Facility framework and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are intended to provide much-needed support amid worsening climate change effects.
“His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, declared the 2023–2024 farming season drought a national disaster, impacting over 6.6 million people across the country,” he stated.
The funds will support community-led adaptation projects that align with the government’s decentralization agenda and the increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF), currently at K36.1 million per constituency.
The Minister urged more community members to utilize the CDF to implement beneficial projects. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the VCA Programme and the Ministry in grant funding, implementation, and monitoring.
“There is no climate justice without climate finance that is both flexible and predictable for local climate action,” he stressed, adding that most funding mechanisms exclude vulnerable communities due to their informality.
People’s Process on Housing and Poverty in Zambia (PPHPZ) Country Coordinator, Mr. Nelson Ncube, stated that the project aims to reach 110 local community organizations, benefiting over 100,000 individuals through projects focused on water, energy, food systems, and gender.
“A total of 318,000 Euros will be directed to support local initiatives,” he said, highlighting the simplified application process which allowed submissions in local languages, audio, and video formats. Over 1,200 applications were received, reflecting the high demand for such support amidst the climate crisis.
Mr. Ncube noted the severe impacts of climate change on Zambia and emphasized the organization’s commitment to a sustainable future through the NLGF project. The three key objectives of the project include showcasing an alternative finance model, demonstrating the impact of locally led adaptation efforts, and increasing finance access at the grassroots level.
