Short-Term Consultancy (Remote) Author/Illustrator
iisd · Full-time · Posted 1w ago
Background
The Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) is a 3-year project that enhances climate resilience and promotes gender equality, social inclusion, and biodiversity protection across three cities: Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa).
Led by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute, and implemented in partnership with local organizations and communities, SUNCASA seeks to address climate change impacts—such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion—through gender-responsive and socially inclusive NbS. These include afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry, urban greening, the removal of invasive alien species, and the creation of vegetated buffer zones in flood-prone areas.
As the project enters the final year of its implementation phase, SUNCASA is placing increased emphasis on ensuring the long-term sustainability of its results by fostering local ownership and building a lasting culture of environmental stewardship. A key priority is to inspire children and youth to recognize the value of NbS and take an active role in protecting the ecosystems and green spaces that support their communities' resilience.
To support this objective, SUNCASA will develop an educational comic book in English that transforms the project's key messages, approaches, and achievements into an engaging, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant learning resource for children and adolescents. Through relatable characters, compelling storytelling, and interactive activities, the comic book will promote awareness of NbS, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation while encouraging young people to take an active role in protecting local ecosystems and sustaining the environmental improvements delivered through the project.
The comic book will serve as a practical education and communication tool for SUNCASA's local partners. It will support classroom learning, community outreach, youth engagement activities, and digital dissemination across the project's three implementation sites. Designed for continued use beyond the project's lifetime, it will contribute to building a lasting culture of environmental responsibility and climate resilience among the next generation.
Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a high-quality, youth-oriented comic book in English that translates SUNCASA's NbS, climate adaptation approaches and outcomes, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) principles into an engaging educational resource. Through compelling storytelling, vibrant illustrations, and interactive activities, the comic book will help children and young people across all three cities—Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; Kigali, Rwanda; and Johannesburg, South Africa—understand the importance of protecting local ecosystems, strengthening community resilience, and sustaining the environmental improvements achieved through the SUNCASA project. The storyline should inspire a sense of environmental stewardship, community ownership, and responsibility among young audiences.
Working in close collaboration with SUNCASA's Communications team and representatives from local partner organizations, the selected consultant will develop the story concept, script, characters, illustrations, and final publication design. The content should present climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, and community resilience concepts in a relatable, culturally relevant, and age-appropriate manner for children and adolescents (approximately 12–16 years old). The narrative and illustrations should reflect the realities, cultures, and landscapes of SUNCASA's three project cities while maintaining a coherent visual identity throughout the publication.
The final comic book will serve as a timeless educational tool to support school activities, community outreach, and awareness-raising initiatives beyond the project's lifetime. In addition to the main story, it should include interactive learning elements—such as games, quizzes, crosswords, puzzles, colouring pages, and other age-appropriate activities—to reinforce key messages and encourage active participation and learning.
Objectives of the Consultancy
General Objective
The specific objectives of this assignment are to:
Read the full Terms of Reference here
Short-Term Consultancy (Remote) Author/Illustrator
Application deadline: August 14, 2026
Application Process
All applications must be submitted in English.
NOTE: Incomplete and late proposals will not be considered for review.
United States