Are you an existing Voice Empowerment grantee implementing projects in Abuja State, Nigeria? Would you like to solve persistent problems relating to the continuing marginalisation and discrimination of Voice rightsholders in a different and daring way? Do you still see room for growth or continuation of the empowerment activities beyond your current or recently completed project?

If you answered “yes” to the questions above, then consider applying to this call! It is an opportunity to do empowerment daringly different or differently daring!

The Voice Empowerment grants are meant for (smaller) organisations to develop transformative leadership, build (collective and individual) confidence and skills, forge alliances with other like-minded individuals and/or organisations to address shared obstacles, and work collectively against the exclusion of marginalised and discriminated groups.

Funding available is a minimum of €5, 000 – €25, 000 and the lifetime of the projects under this grant must be 12 months.

What do we wish to fund?

Proposals with “out of the box” project ideas that promote learning and focus on underrepresented groups within the following Voice rightsholder groups;

• Age-discriminated vulnerable groups notably the young and elderly.
• Persons with disabilities.
• Indigenous groups and/or ethnic minorities.
• Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence

Voice has a strong preference for projects that are designed from an intersectional point of view. This means projects should aim to work with more than one of the above groups to address overlapping vulnerabilities and/or forms of discrimination. An example can be, young women and girls living with disabilities face triple exclusion at the same time (age, gender and impairment).

All projects MUST focus on at least one or all of the following impact themes:

• Improved access to (productive) resources such as land, and employment,
• Improved access to social services, particularly health and education, and
• Fostering space for political participation and citizen engagement

Who do we wish to fund?

“Most people float downstream because it is the easiest alternative. No effort is required. On the other hand, it takes courage and strength to swim against the current.”

Voice in Nigeria will only accept applications from organisations that are rightsholders group-led, and that are existing grantees proposing to expand, deepen or challenge their empowerment processes. Existing empowerment grantees can only apply with a project that will start after their current Voice-funded project ends. Voice encourages graduation, but can only have one contract at a time with a (lead) organisation. All Voice-funded projects need to be fully finished before the end of December 2020. Therefore, applicants considering applying cannot include activities beyond this deadline.

Where do we wish to fund?

Voice in Nigeria will only fund projects that intend to work in Abuja State.

This Call for Proposals is closed and no longer accepting applications. Come back here at a later stage to learn about the grantees that have been selected in this Call for Proposals.

The current open Calls for Proposals can be found here.