Submit Applications for Environmental Journalism Small Grants Fund (Uganda)

This initiative will support 10 original, in-depth, and investigative stories focused on critical environmental and human rights issues in the Albertine region.

This call comes at a time when forests, biodiversity, and frontline communities across the Albertine region are highly threatened by extractive industries, land grabbing, displacements and land degradation for industrial and social infrastructure development.

The initiative seeks to empower local voices through journalism that educates, informs, investigates, and promotes environmental and human rights, holding duty bearers and perpetrators accountable.

Aims

• They aim to:
  • Promote environmental reporting from rural and underreported forest-dependent communities.
  • Expose economic practices harmful to the environment and highlight grassroots solutions.
  • Promote the flow of credible (fact-based) information to the public and policymakers.

Thematic Areas

• Story pitches must cover one or more of the following:
  • The story pitches should address the impact of oil project developments on environmental and human rights.
  • The effect of huge and ever-expanding agricultural businesses, like sugarcane growing, monoculture forestry plantations, biodiversity, and land rights.
  • Rapid economic developments are leading to changes in wildlife movement patterns and habitats.
  • The ecosystems of Lake Albert, fishing communities, and shoreline livelihoods are under threat.
  • The impact of land use changes and extractive projects on women and youth is gendered.

Funding Information

• Environmental Defenders will award $500 to each of the 10 journalists qualifying for the grant.

Eligibility Criteria

• The opportunity is available to Ugandan journalists, whether freelance or staff, who are employed in radio, print, online, or multimedia platforms.
• Applicants must have demonstrated experience in environmental or human rights reporting.
• They especially encourage applications from rural-based journalists, international and national journalists working in the Albertine region, women reporters, and young journalists, among others.
• Formats and Story Lengths:
  • Written investigative articles: 800 to 2,500 words.
  • Radio programs, features, or podcast stories have a maximum length of 10 to 30 minutes.
  • Radio documentaries or features should be between 5 and 15 minutes long.
  • Multimedia storytelling or data-driven pieces.

Application Requirements

• Story pitch (max 2 pages): include focus, justification, methodology, and expected impact.
• Resume/CV
• At least 2 samples of similar previous publications/broadcasts in the form of URL links or MP4 video or MP3 audio.
• The editorial supervisor must provide a recommendation letter, guaranteeing editorial support throughout the publication or broadcast process.
• Submissions accepted in English or Swahili.

For more information, visit Environmental Defenders.