Funded by USAID, the US Agency for International Development, BUILD is a five-year effort. The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), FHI 360, PATH Foundation Philippines Inc. (PFPI), Leadership for Environment and Development Southern and Eastern Africa (LEAD SEA), and the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) are partners in the BUILD project. This global initiative aims to use the interdependence of population, health, environment, and development (PHED) to encourage strong political will, steady funding, and responsibility for reproductive health and voluntary family planning in low- and middle-income nations.
The BUILD project will be implementing a global PHED Leadership Program to develop and nurture the next generation of PHED leaders, focusing on women and young people. The program will recruit participants from four regions and conduct training for various cohorts in the project’s hub countries: Kenya (East Africa region), Malawi (Southern Africa region), Cote d’Ivoire (West Africa region), and the Philippines (Asia Pacific region). The program targets young people, particularly women, from government, local, national, regional, and international agencies; civil society organizations (CSOs); and the private sector; or individuals with the potential to implement and/or support PHED-related initiatives.
The inaugural training for the Southern Africa region will be held in Malawi, with the first cohort training on February 5–16, 2024, and the second cohort’s training on April 22–May 3, 2024. The program will admit approximately 20 participants for each cohort, including advocates, community leaders, social influencers, program and project officers, planners, policy influencers, and policymakers from Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The BUILD project invites applications for the February and April–May 2024 cohorts for the Southern Africa region. The program starts with a 12-day in-person training event in Malawi and continues for 12 months with virtual, periodic follow-up sessions aimed at equipping participants with the cross-sectoral skills and background needed to advocate, plan, and implement integrated programming responsive to interlinked development goals.
Benefits:
The tuition fees for the program will be covered by the organizers, as will the cost of travel (including airline tickets and ground transfer fees), visas, accommodation, medical incidentals, and all meals (or daily subsistence allowance for meals) for the duration of the initial training event.
Requirements:
- The applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 29 (eligible applicants must be at least 18 and no older than 29 on the first day of the training they wish to attend); proficient in English; a citizen of Malawi, Zambia, or Zimbabwe; and have at least a high school degree from a recognized school or other relevant qualifications (i.e., applicable work experience).
- Some experience in cross-sectoral programming or planning, analytical skills, and computer application knowledge (e.g., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Docs Editors office suite) is an added advantage.
- A panel of PHED and gender and youth experts will review the applications and select candidates who indicate serious interest and demonstrate some steps already taken to pursue a professional path in the gender, environment, health, family planning, and/or community development sectors.
LOCATION:
The initial training will be conducted in-person in Malawi (outside Lilongwe or Blantyre); periodic follow-up sessions during the remaining 12-month period of the program are online.
Application:
- Apply online: BUILD PED Leadership Program Application – Dec 2023 (paperform.co)
- For questions, please contact the program organizer at: PHEDNextGenSA@AFIDEP.org
