AFIDEP’s inaugural BUILD project’s leadership programme in integrated PHED rolls out in Malawi in February
The inaugural training of BUILD project, a five-year global initiative designed to leverage the interconnectedness of population, health, environment and development (PHED) — which is led by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) — will be held for the Southern Africa region in Malawi next year with the first cohort on February 5-16 and the second cohort from April 22-May 3.
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the programme is being managed by AFIDEP in partnership with Leadership for Environment & Development Southern and Eastern Africa (LEAD SEA); PATH Foundation Philippines Inc. (PFPI); FHI 360; and Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
A statement from AFIDEP says the PHED is set to spur “strong political commitment, sustained financial resources and accountability for voluntary family planning and reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries”.
“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, said the statement.
“The program will recruit participants from four regions and conduct training for various cohorts in the project’s hub countries in Kenya (east Africa region), Malawi (southern Africa), Cote d’Ivoire (west Africa) and the Philippines (Asia Pacific).
“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 program is expected to 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.
Thus the BUILD project invites applications for the southern Africa region in February and April cohorts, whose 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.
Minimum entry requirement are that the eligible applicant must be at least 18 years old and no older than 29 on the first day of the training they wish to attend; must proficient in English and must be a citizen of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
They also must be in possession of 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 applications knowledge — such as 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 gender, environment, health, family planning, and/or community development sectors.
The initial training is full time for 12 days, including a multi-day site visit to a PHED project(s) and during the initial training, participants will identify a PHED-related opportunity/challenge with a clear FP/RH link where they can apply lessons learned over a 12-month period and continue to receive periodic, virtual support from PHED subject matter experts, their peers, and mentors/supervisors.
The initial training will be conducted in-person in Malawi, outside Lilongwe or Blantyre and periodic follow-up sessions during the remaining 12-month of the program are online.
The initial training will be structured into modules including an in-depth introduction to integrated PHED approach within the broader sustainable development thinking, complemented by other key leadership modules on systems thinking, strategic communications with policymakers and policy advocacy, integrating gender and youth, entrepreneurship, scaling-up methodology for program sustainability, and others.
Program participants are expected to bring background information from their own multi-sectoral project or portfolio/s with a clear FP/RH link, to share with other participants and apply lessons from the training and field visit to their particular cases.
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.
Interested and qualified applicants can apply online: BUILD PED Leadership Program Application – Dec 2023 (paperform.co) and for clarification, they are encouraged to contact the program organizer at: [email protected].
Applications opened on December 1, whose deadline is December 15 and the notification date of acceptance is on January 8 with January 12 as deadline for applicants’ confirmation.
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