Africa No Filter is inviting applications from African storytellers for the Voices for Climate Justice Initiative 2026, a 12-month programme delivered in partnership with Comic Relief. The initiative will support 15–20 journalists, content creators, podcasters, vloggers, muralists and data visualizers from selected African countries with training, mentorship, content amplification and grants of up to US$4,000.

The programme is designed to support powerful storytelling around climate justice and how gender, debt and fossil fuels affect people and communities across Africa. Selected participants will receive training in climate justice, data storytelling and narrative framing before working with researchers and partners to develop accurate and engaging stories that can spark public conversations and encourage action.

Applicants can propose stories told through articles, videos, podcasts, murals, data visualizations or other creative formats. Africa No Filter will consider the originality of the proposed idea, its relevance to the initiative’s focus on gender, debt and fossil fuels, alignment with its mission of challenging stereotypes about Africa, and the applicant’s reach or standing within their platform or community.

To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years or older and based in Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Malawi or Zambia. They must have an active and engaged platform, such as a podcast, YouTube channel, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram account, publication or data visualization portfolio, that has been operating and demonstrating engagement for more than one year.

Content creators and data visualizers must have a combined audience of at least 5,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter/X and Snapchat. Journalists may demonstrate their reach through publication circulation instead. Content creators must be unsigned and not represented by an agent, while journalists may be affiliated with a publication provided that they retain ownership of their submitted work and content rights.

Participants must commit to producing and sharing at least four pieces of content focused on gender, debt and fossil fuels over a period of at least six months. Proposed ideas must connect with the initiative’s core themes of climate justice, gender, debt and fossil fuels in Africa. Only individuals are eligible to apply; organizations and agencies are not eligible.

Applicants must also demonstrate a commitment to Africa No Filter’s principles and to ethical, survivor-centered storytelling, particularly when addressing gender-related impacts.

Applications that are incomplete or submitted by post or email will not be considered. The initiative will also reject hacked material and content that is vulgar, racist, sexist, homophobic or reinforces harmful stereotypes about Africa and Africans. Accounts or posts whose engagement has been artificially boosted through paid promotion are also ineligible.

To apply, applicants must first prepare either a pitch deck of no more than five slides or a video of no more than 60 seconds presenting their storytelling idea and showing how it connects gender, debt and fossil fuels in Africa. They must then submit the online application together with links to their platforms, publication or community network and a short description of the audience or community they intend to reach.

All submitted content must be delivered in English or French.

Application deadline: Check the official application portal for the current deadline.

Who can apply: African storytellers aged 18+ from Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, Republic of Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Malawi and Zambia.

Grant: Up to US$4,000

Programme duration: 12 months

Scroll down for more information and click on the official link attached below to apply for this opportunity