AWF supporting GEF OFPs in environmental conservation across Africa

As Africa stands at the crossroads of development and conservation, strategic partnerships are essential to safeguarding the continent’s rich biodiversity while driving sustainable progress. Through a groundbreaking partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is strengthening its impact by empowering Africa’s conservation leaders to ensure that global funding translates into tangible, lasting environmental progress. 
The GEF includes several multilateral funds working together to address the planet's most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals.  It has historically invested significantly in Africa, supporting over 1,800 projects in the continent, with a total investment of $6.2 billion since its inception in 1991. 
The collaboration includes providing funding and developing targeted workshops to improve skills among GEF Operational Focal Points (OFPs) to enhance their oversight for effective coordination of stakeholders and implementation of GEF projects in each country. 
"This collaboration represents a meeting of minds and missions," says Edwin Tambara, AWF's Director of Global Leadership. "We're combining GEF's funding mechanisms with our deep understanding of Africa's conservation landscape to create lasting impact."
“This initiative strengthens the Operational Focal Points’ project oversight and monitoring capacity, enabling them to take greater ownership of their portfolios and maximize the impact of GEF resources. By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing through training activities and field visits, we create an opportunity to these focal points to learn from one another and optimize the management of GEF-funded projects,” said Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF. “We believe that by investing in the capacity of our partners, we can drive impactful environmental outcomes that benefit both people and nature.”

From Left - Edwin Tambara (AWF, Director Global Leadership, Carlos Manuel (GEF CEO), Susan Waithaka (GEF Country Relations Officer) and Kaddu Sebunya (AWF CEO) during the GEF 9 Meetings in Washington DC in February 2025

A strategic approach remains at the center of this critical intervention.
Focusing on dealing with the continent's emerging challenges around conservation, climate mitigation and adaptation, and land use planning and restoration, the GEF will capitalize on AWF's grassroots reach, history of success, and influence across the continent to ensure that OFPs are capacitated to align GEF programming at national level with commitments under global environmental conventions while at the same time leveraging GEF funding to drive integration and mainstreaming of environmental issues in development priorities and economic growth agendas. Tambara says, "This initiative is not only strengthening our network of Operational Focal Points but also uniting partners across Africa, fostering knowledge exchange, and advancing cross-border collaboration to tackle shared environmental challenges and unlock new opportunities."
The true test of success will be seeing healthier ecosystems and more confident, well-equipped African conservation leaders take charge of providing solutions to their challenges. 
AWF is Africa's oldest and largest international conservation organization, working to ensure people and wildlife thrive together. Our approach bridges science, on-the-ground programs, education, and public policy and delivers targeted solutions across key landscapes while driving impact through partnerships, enterprise, and advocacy. 
This partnership marks real progress towards conservation efforts across Africa. By collaborating and investing in local leaders, we can achieve much more. When our OFP partners connect across borders and put their training into action, they're not just protecting wildlife today; they safeguard Africa's wild spaces for future generations.