Africa Regional Democracy Fund
U.S. Mission to 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.
• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations. • Public and private educational and environmental institutions