GCA and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Award Small Grants to Empower Youth-Led Climate Action Across Africa
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airobi, Kenya, 24 October 2025 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in partnership with the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), has announced the award of small grants to 15 youth-led organizations across Africa to replicate climate adaptation training at national and local levels.
The initiative expands GCA’s efforts to empower young Africans to take the lead in driving climate adaptation action through a combination of training, online learning, and financial support. Each selected organization will receive a grant of EUR 2,000 to implement locally tailored training programs using the GCA Adaptation Training Toolkit, adapting the content and methodologies of the successful Youth Academy on Adaptation and Leadership held in Kenya in September 2025.
That landmark Academy brought together young leaders from 50 countries to strengthen their skills in project design, adaptation planning, and community resilience. Through this follow-up phase, GCA and MMUST aim to translate knowledge into action by equipping youth organizations with the tools and resources to deliver localized adaptation solutions in their own communities.
“Young people are already leading innovation and resilience across Africa. By equipping them with practical tools and resources, we are enabling them to design and implement locally led adaptation projects that strengthen climate resilience where it is needed most,” said Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation and Chancellor of the University of Nairobi.
The program targets youth-led organizations that are members of the African Youth Adaptation Network (YAN) and focuses on building capacity to prepare high-quality project proposals, access climate finance and scale up locally-led adaptation initiatives.
Fifteen countries have been selected to implement these activities, representing all regions of the continent: Egypt, Tunisia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This partnership reflects GCA’s commitment under the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to empower young people to lead Africa’s adaptation journey — turning training into action and action into resilience.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent. Founded in 2018, GCA is the first international organization to maintain dual headquarters in both the Global North in Rotterdam and in the Global South in Nairobi – underscoring the equal partnership between regions and the conviction that climate adaptation solutions must be co-designed and co-owned. Its regional hubs in Abidjan, Dhaka and Beijing, leverage local expertise to pilot and scale context-specific approaches. Together, these centers ensure a continuous, two-way exchange of knowledge and best practices that empower communities and drive resilient and inclusive growth worldwide.
Contact Information
For further details, please contact the Youth Leadership and Education team at youth@gca.org.
