The Africa Regional Democracy Fund is offering a grant to empower communities for wildlife conservation and security in Niger.

This program will support organizations working on wildlife conservation to assist local communities living in and near wildlife-protected areas, including both farmers and herders, to develop their capacity to actively engage in the preservation of wildlife and Niger’s natural heritage.

Objective 1: Amplify the voices of the locals who remain a marginalized group in wildlife-protected areas.

Objective 2: Promote the welfare of local communities with diversified means of livelihoods and/or the provision of basic infrastructure.

Objective 3: Engage local communities in the fight against violent extremist organizations and traffickers.

Project activities could include the following:

–         Advocating with government institutions to consider local communities’ needs.

–         Establishing a surveillance system to create a safe environment that promotes tourism.

–         Creating diversified income generating activities to reduce dependance on agricultural production.

–         Establishing information-sharing networks between GoN and local communities to report suspected VEO and poaching activities. 

–         Using local knowledge to improve wildlife protection policies and programs.

–         Amplifying the voice of marginalized groups, especially women.

–         Supporting women-led groups working on environment issues to reverse desertification.

–         Raising awareness of conservation laws and the law’s benefits for both farmers and herders. 

–         Basic infrastructure construction for local communities, including health facilities, water sites (wells, boreholes,) and marking cattle passageways for transhumant herders.

Anticipated outcomes attributable to program activities include:

–         Local communities collaborate and share information with government institutions, limiting the operating space for violent extremist organizations and traffickers. 

–         Local communities demonstrate an improved willingness to engage in wildlife protection. 

–         Local communities’ livelihoods are protected.

–         Local community members, especially women, are engaged and included in the area’s development.