By Winnie Ali | aliwinnie3@gmail.com
The Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are combining efforts through on a project that will increase research-backed climate change reporting by journalists in Africa.
The project Action Research to Enhance Effective Coverage of Climate Change Issues in Africa (ARECCCA) will run till March 2028, according to a letter from IDRC to the association dated March 24, 2025.
The ARECCCA project combines gender responsive action research to strengthen capacity and deepen understanding of different contexts for reporting on climate change in Africa. The IDRC has been doing this through partnerships with networks of journalists, science editors and researchers.
The data collected in the ARECCCA project will inform recommendations to address some of the challenges journalists face while reporting on climate change in Africa.
Speaking on the collaboration with the IDRC, MESHA Secretary Aghan Daniel said journalists would be awarded grants to write climate change stories, and will be expected to engage with scientists, policy makers, science editors and communities as part of their production. The grant will also support MESHA’s participation in key regional and international climate change conferences.
Already MESHA, an association of science journalists and communicators that specialise in environmental, agriculture, health, technology and development reporting, has announced that the media fellowship will have 16 journalists from Eastern and Southern Africa, with grants shared equally between male and female. The programme will run in two cohorts; first between 2025 and 2026, and then 2027 to 2028. Each cohort will have eight journalists, selected through a competitive process.
Fellows will each pitch and develop two stories to be produced in phases over five months. They will receive financial support, mentorship, and structured feedback from researchers and editors to improve the quality and impact of their reporting.
Meanwhile, MESHA secretariat has announced various opportunities and vacancies available in the project. Applications for media fellowships close on May 30, with the first cohort commencing their journey on July 20. Interested journalists can apply via MESHA’s official portal.
Researchers have also been invited to join the project in a two-year engagement, working closely with journalists. The aim is to document and analyse the effectiveness of climate reporting practices while ensuring inclusivity, especially for women and grassroots communities. The researchers will offer literature reviews, facilitate interactive learning forums, and co-author research outputs. They have until June 20, 2025 to submit their applications, with on-boarding scheduled for July 20. Interested researchers can apply here.
“This project is our response to the growing need for contextualised, Africa-led climate narratives that speak not just to problems, but to people, policies, and possibilities,” said Aghan.
Part of the activities to be undertaken under the project includes a series of Media Science Cafés and iteractive stakeholder engagements which will allow journalists, scientists, policymakers, and community representatives to exchange insights and share perspectives on climate change.
Findings and discussions will be documented and shared via Sayansi Magazine, MESHA’s flagship science publication.
Beyond media engagement, the project will foster policy dialogue through annual workshops with parliamentarians and climate actors, to bridge the gap between science and legislation. MESHA will work with the Kenyan Parliamentary Committee on Environment and other regional legislative bodies to advocate for science-backed climate policies and journalism support.
What sets ARECCCA apart is not just its ambition, but strong emphasis on gender equality and inclusion. The project recognises that women and marginalised groups are disproportionately affected by climate change and are uniquely positioned to lead in community-level resilience efforts. However, the groups remain underrepresented in climate news and policy-making.
The project will therefore explore integration of gender perspectives in climate change stories. Researchers will pose questions such as: “How are women and marginalised communities portrayed in climate stories?” and “What kinds of reporting frameworks promote equity and justice?” The aim is to shift the narrative from token inclusion to structural transformation.
“ARECCCA is a game-changer. It is about equipping African journalists, especially, women, with tools to tell transformative climate stories. For too long, our coverage has sidelined grassroots women and front-line communities. This project is our chance to rewrite that narrative,” said MESHA vice chairperson Nduta Waweru.
The project’s science cafés will incorporate community women leaders, gender experts, and policy advocates to ensure holistic learning. Issues like climate-induced displacement of women, gendered health impacts, and access to green livelihoods will feature prominently in story development.
Meanwhile, MESHA is seeking a qualified part-time Project Officer to support coordination of project activities. Full application details can be accessed here.
To ensure long-term impact, MESHA will develop a resource mobilisation strategy, conduct organisational capacity assessments, and build leadership and management skills within its secretariat to align with its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan. Through international partnerships and strategic outreach, MESHA hopes to secure sustainable support for African science journalism well beyond the project’s 36-month lifespan.
