Application form for

Darwin Initiative Main Project

Round 28– Stage 1
This Word version of the application form is for drafting purposes, and has been
developed to help applicants collaborate on their applications. Please note that word
limits must be respected. The word limits on Flexi-Grant will be strictly enforced. Please
ensure you check all content when transferring across.

NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THIS FORM WILL BE DEEMED

INELIGIBLE. SUBMISSION MUST BE VIA FLEXI-GRANT – ltsi.flexigrant.com

Submit on Flexi-Grant by 2359 BST (GMT+01:00) Tuesday 28 September2021

Please read the guidance before completing this form. This is available on the Darwin
Initiative website.
Q1. Lead applicant
contact details Yassin Rasheed, Wildlife& Environmental
Notification of results will Society of Malawi(WESM)
be to the lead applicant.
P/Bag 578 Limbe, Blantyre-Malawi

Phone: +265 1 843 428, +265 995 209 848

Email: wesmhq@wesm.mw
Q2. Lead Partner Wildlife& Environmental Society of Malawi(WESM)
Q3. Project Leader As above
Please name Project
Leader if different from lead
applicant
Q4. Title (Max 10 words) Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve Community Capacity Building

Q5a. Have you ever applied for Darwin Partnership funding for this No
project?
Q5b. Year of Darwin Partnership application and reference if
known. Please also attach your report to your application.
 Q6a. Is this a resubmission of a previously unsuccessful No
application?
If yes, please attach a cover letter outlining how you have
responded to any feedback received.
Q6b. Year, stage and previous application number if known.
Q7. Have you received, applied for or plan to apply for any other No
UK Government funding for the proposed project? If yes, please
give details (100 words):

Q8. Key Ecosystems, Approaches and Threats

Select up to 3 biomes that are of focus, up to 3 conservation actions that characterise
your approach, and up to 3 threats to biodiversity you intend to address, from
dropdown lists.

Q9. Summary of project

Please provide a brief summary of your project: the problem it is trying to address, its
aims, and the key activities you plan on undertaking.

This project will help to build capacity of communities in understanding conservation

concept. There has never been a project around the reserve aiming at improving the
participation of communities and this project will fill the knowledge gap which is there
among communities. Training of user groups will help improve reserve governance so
as to make sure that communities themselves are policing each other hence reducing
cases of poaching. Most poachers comes from the adjacent communities hence the
approach to involve communities will help to curb malpractices, its like send a thief to
catch the thief type of approach.

Q10. Country(ies)
Which eligible country(ies)will your project be working in? You may copy and paste this
table if you need to provide details of more than four countries.
Country 1: Malawi Country 2:
Country 3: Country 4:

Q11. Project dates

Start date: End date: Duration (e.g. 2 years, 3
months):

Q12. Budget summary

Darwin 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Total request
funding £ 60,000 £ 80,000 £ £ 140,000
request (Apr
– Mar)
Q12. Proportion of Darwin Initiative budget expected to be expended in eligible

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 countries: %
Q13a. What matched funding arrangements are proposed? If none, please explain
why. (Max 100 words)
Q13b. Total indicative matched funding (as currently £
estimated):

Q14. Problem the project is trying to address

Please describe the problem your project is trying to address in terms of biodiversity
and its relationship with poverty. For example, what are the drivers of loss of
biodiversity that the project will attempt to address? Why are they relevant, for whom?
How did you identify these problems? How will your proposed project help?

(Max 300 words) Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (NWR) is the largest wildlife reserve in
Malawi founded in 1938, covers 180,000 ha.The vegetation is the finest example of
tall miombo woodland in Malawi and amongst the best on the continent. It supports
most of the wildlife species of Malawi, including elephants. The reserve faces a
serious poaching challenge which have seen it losing some animal species, for
example in 1988 there were over 2000 elephants in the reserve but as of 2015 only
about 20 elephants can be spotted in the reserve.

NWR under African Parks management is thriving well with improved numbers of
wildlife through both re/introduction and reproduction. Poaching is still an issue that
needs attention from park management. Communities boarding the reserve are
indigenous poor people that in one way or another rely on the wildlife reserve for food
and livelihood. WESM identified these challenges through its routine community
engagement programmes such as tree planting and monitoring with Community
Based Natural Resource Management Committees (CBNRMCs). Reliance on the
reserve is only an issue when the wildlife reserve is being exploited without a proper
way of replenishing it. Therefore, it is imperative that these communities that benefit
from the reserve also become part of the solution. One way communities bordering
the reserve are key is protecting wildlife through reporting of illegal activities.
However, communities are the last to be consulted when decisions concerning the
wildlife reserve are made.

It is important that this wildlife reserve be protected for the sake of the continued
provisioning of benefits to the community, habitat for the many wildlife and tree
species that are found in there, ecotourism and a wildlife bank.

This project seeks to deal with these drivers of exploitation through building capacity
of the community members in participatory management so they can become key
stakeholders in reporting illegal activities. The project will also engage parks
management to put in place strategies for community participation and engagement
in park protection and wildlife conservation.

There is a good news now about the reserve, African Parks is working around the
clock in order to restock the reserve with some animals.

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 it is against this back ground that capacity needs to be build to the adjacent
communities so that they are empowered and take a leading role in the management
of the reserve. Communities through structures such as Natural Resources
Committees, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve Association and others will be fully
empowered so that they are able to manage the reserve at community level. Malawi
environmental decentrised policy encourages participation of communities in
managing natural resources. 53 % of the people of Nkhotakota are illiterate hence it
becomes difficult for them to understand some of the conservation messages.

Q15. Biodiversity Conventions, Treaties and Agreements

Your project must support the commitments of one or more of the agreements listed
below. Please indicate which agreement(s) will be supported. Note: projects supporting
more than one will not achieve a higher score.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Yes
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Yes/No
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Yes/No
Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Yes
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Yes
Animals (CMS)
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) Yes/No
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Yes/No
(UNFCCC)
Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) Yes/No

Q16. National and International Policy Alignment

Please detail how your project will contribute to national policy (including NBSAPs,
NDCs, NAP etc.), and in turn international biodiversity and development conventions,
treaties and agreements that the country is a signatory of.

(Max 300 words) This project will positively contribute to many national policies like
Biodiversity policy, Wildlife Act, National Wildlife Policy, Environmental management
act, Malawi 2063 development agenda,

The National Park and Wildlife Act provides for community participation in
conservation and management of wildlife and establishment of community
conservation areas outside the protected areas. The project will build the capacity of
the communities so that they are able to be involved in decision making pertaining to
conservation of the wildlife. In addition, the CBNRMs will lead establishment of the
village forest areas which will provide the wood products to the community in an
effort to reduce anthropogenic pressure on the wildlife reserve. The National
Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (NBSAP) highlights inadequate community
awareness and participation in conservation management as one of the challenges
that the strategy addresses through promotion of active participation of local
communities in biodiversity management through various community based

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 institutions. This project will facilitate establishment of such community institutions
such as CBNRMCs which will be very instrumental in actively disseminating the
conservation messages to their locality. The Malawi Agenda 2063 states that ‘ We
shall also inculcate practical and people centred value systems on environmental
resources use and management. This project will train the communities in natural
based enterprise in order to maximize the village forest areas that will be established.

Q17. Methodology
Please summarise the methods and approach you will use to achieve your intended
Outcome and Impact.

17a. How have you reflected on and referred to evidence and lessons learnt from
past and present activities in the design of this project? Please note that we are
not just interested in work carried out by any of the partners, but also in the broader or
related practice area. Please refer to those that you are aware of.

(Max 200 words) The project will use community based approach where communities
will be encouraged to take a leading role in making sure biodiversity, wildlife and others
are protected in the reserve. Through capacity building activities like training,
community awareness and others people will be taken into the path of walking the talk.
Biodiversity need to be protected. By using transboarder international conservation
agreement countries will make sure that they work together in managing wildlife
resources. African Parks is managing this reserve on behalf of Malawi government for
the next 20 years and it is implementing a number of activities both inside and outside
the reserve. Nkhotakota wildlife Reserve Association is also another organisation which
is working with communities around the reserve. The association is implementing a
number of community based conservation activities such as fire break maintenance,
wire maintenance, tree planting and other livelihood activities.

17b. Please summarise the planned activities to be undertaken by the proposed

project: what activities you will undertake and how?

Please make sure you read the guidance documents, before answering this question.

(Max 400 words)

1. Project briefing to District Development Committee and Area Development

Committee and project launch

2. The project will train community Based Naturals Resources Management

committees, school and youth wildlife clubs in participatory approach to wildlife
management, natural resource management, maximizing the potential of village
forest areas to alleviate poverty, wildlife monitoring and law enforcement. of interest
groups such as NRCs and wildlife clubs

3.The project will raise awareness on the revised wildlife act to the communities and
schools surrounding the reserve through conducting of rallies, environmental talks,
radios, Television program and production of environmental education materials

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 Rallies

4.Environmental Talks in adjacent Schools.

5. Radio and TV Programs for awareness.

6.Production of environmental education materials such as leaflets, sign post, T-

shirts carrying reserve messages,

7. Introduction of alternative sources of income such as beekeeping, fish farming

and guinea fowl rearing to the adjacent communities.

8.Reserve fence maintenances

9. Removing of wire Snares in the reserve.

10. Conduct exchange visits (learning visit)

11.Community debates on wildlife issues

12. The project will Conduct stakeholder engagement meetings to document best
practices for conservation, monitoring, law enforcement and human wildlife conflict
issues

13. Field monitoring of project activities

14. The project will promote Afforestation by supporting communities to establish

village woodlots and will also campaign for adoption of energy saving stoves in order
to reduce pressure on the reserve.

15. Project Documentary

16. Supply of good drinking water to the communities surrounding the reserve.

17.The Introduction of women will be supported with skills to establish village

servings and loan groups, for women economic empowerment.

18. Introduction of solar energy business involving youths around the game reserve.

19. Biodiversity Research and analysis.

20, Review and amendment of local biodiversity and wildlife by laws.

Q18. Gender Equality

All applicants must consider whether and how their project will contribute to reducing
inequality between persons of different gender. Explain how your understanding of
gender equality within the context your project, and how is it reflected in your plans.
Please summarise how your project will contribute to reducing gender inequality.

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Applicants should, at a minimum, ensure proposals will not increase inequality and are
encouraged to design interventions that proactively contribute to increased gender
equality.

(Max 100 words)WESM has gender policy which is in force now and issues of
inequalities are spelled out very clearly, this project will not discriminate against
anyone based on gender, religious affiliation or disability. Everyone involved in this
project will have the right to contribute equally to decision making and project activities.
The project will make deliberate efforts to take on board women and youth without
discriminating against persons living with disability. give priorities to women who are in
large number 52% and in most of project implementation structures women will be
elected to hold the most senior position,

Q19. Change Expected

Detail the expected changes to both biodiversity and poverty reduction this work will
deliver. You should identify what will change and who will benefit a) in the short-
term(i.e. during the life of the project) and b) in the long-term (after the project has
ended) and the potential to scale the approach.

(Max 300 words) Community based approach to reduce human animal conflict is a
key to success, this project in short terms looks into the situation where communities
around Nkhotakota wildlife reserve are able to appreciate the availability of animals in
the area and be pro active in making sure biodiversity conservation and protection is
give much support. In a long run we would like to see people and animals living in
harmony as it used to be. There is no need to for communities to treat elephants as
enemies, this is the current situation,

After successful implementation of this project lessons learnt will be shared and
another similar projects will be implemented in other protected areas in Malawi so
that there is a scale up of good work.

Q20. Pathway to change

Please outline your project’s expected pathway to change. This should be an overview
of the overall project logic and outline how you expect your Outputs to contribute
towards your overall Outcome and, longer term, your expected Impact.

(Max 200 words) The project if implemented will change wrong thinking people have on
wild animals and there will be a common understanding among communities on how
the relationship with animals can be improved. The goal of the project is increase
community knowledge in understanding human/animal conflict. This project if
implemented will bring change in many ways, many communities around the reserve
will be engaged in a number of project activities, this will change their life. In long time,
many communities will take elephants as animals that need their support for protection,
the project will bring change in peoples mind that elephants are bad animals, in the
future people and elephants will co exist in harmony.

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Q21. Project partners
Please list all the partners involved (including the Lead Partner) and provide a
summary of their roles.

Lead Partner name: Wildlife& Environmental Society of Malawi(WESM)

Other partners (name and (Max 75 words) 1) Department of Parks & Wildlife-
country): Malawi.
2) African Parks,-Malawi
3Nkhotakota District Council- Malawi
Summary of roles and (Max 150 words) 1.WESM. being the lead partner,
responsibilities of the partners WESM will plan, manage and implement the
in the project: project and provide coordination of all project
activities and manage project finances. 2.
Department of parks & wildlife. Its role is to
provide policy guidance on how to implement the
project using government policies.
3. African parks role: is to be a leading partner in
the implementation of project activities, provide
guidance in management of project activities

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Q22. Logical Framework
Darwin Initiative projects will be asked to monitor and report against their progress towards their Outputs and Outcome. See the
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Guidance for advice on completing a logical framework.

For Stage 1 this table should provide a high-level understanding of what you expect to achieve and how you will measure that.
If you are invited to apply to Stage 2 you will be expected to complete this by adding in detail at the activity level.

The log frame template must be downloaded from Flexi-Grant, completed and uploaded as a PDF– please do not edit the log frame
template structure (other than adding additional Outputs if needed) as this may make your application ineligible. You will be
asked for the Impact, Outcome and Output statements in your application form - these must match your log frame statements.
Project Summary SMART Indicators Means of Verification Important Assumptions
Impact: The project will minimise the impact of human animal conflict which are always there.
(Max 30 words)
Outcome: Reduced deaths caused 0.1 number of deaths reduces 0.1 field reports There will be good relationship
by animals in communities 0.2 number of animals visiting the 0.2 Field report between people and elephants
surrounding the wildlife reserve. village. around the reserve.
(Max 30 words)

Outputs: 1.1 Number of communities 1.1 Attendant participants lists Communities will gard each other
1. Common understanding among participating in project activities 1.2 Field report. in protecting the elephants
the communities in living with 1.2
animals.

2. Fostering of animal control 2.1 Number of visit made by 2.1 Field report With this project, those managing
activities. animals to the community 2.2 field report the park will make sure elephants
2.2 Number of patrols done are put into control so that they
don’t cause problems.
3. Human/ Animal challenge 3.1 number of case s occurred 2.1 field report This project will have answers to
reduced 3.2 2.2 help manage the challenges.

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N.B. – Most projects have 3-4
Outputs, if you need please insert
a row(s). It is advised to have less
than 6 outputs since this level of
detail can be provided at the
activity level at Stage 2.

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Q23. Working with the British Embassy or High Commission
Are you in contact with the British Embassy or High Commission in the
country/countries in which your project is based?

No:
If no, why not?

(Max 50 words) We haven’t been in contact due to time factors but if

we are selected into next phase we are going to contact the embassy,
and more details will be provided.

Certification
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements made in this
application are true and the information provided is correct and that I have the authority
to submit an application on behalf of my organisation.

Name (block capitals): YASSIN RASHEED

Position in organisation: NATIONAL COORDINATOR.

Signed:

Dated: 23RD SEPTEMBER 2021.

If this section is incomplete the entire application will be rejected.You must

provide a real (not typed) signature. You may include a PDF of the signature page
for security reasons if you wish.

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Stage 1 Application - Checklist for submission
Check
I haveread the Guidance documents, including the “Darwin Initiative
Guidance”, “Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Guidance” and “Financial
Guidance”.
I have read, and can meet, the current Terms and Conditions for this fund.
I have provided actual start and end dates for my project.
I have provided mysummary budget based on UK government
financialyears i.e. 1 April – 31 March and in GBP
N.B.: we do not require the budget spreadsheet at this stage.
I have attached my completed logframe as a PDF using the template
provided, and using “Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Guidance”
(If copying and pasting into Flexi-Grant) I have checked that all my responses
have been successfully copied into the online application form.
The application has been signed by a suitably authorised individual (clear
electronic or scanned signatures are acceptable).
If you received a relevant Partnership Award, you have included the report
with this application.
I havechecked the Darwin Initiative website immediately prior to
submission to ensure there are no late updates.
I have read and understood the Privacy Notice on Darwin Initiative website
Do not include letters of support or CVs with this application.
Ensure you submit this application on Flexi-Grant

Once you have completed the checklist above, please submit via the Flexi-Grant
portal, not later than 2359 BST (GMT+01:00) Tuesday 28 September 2021

Data protection and use of personal data

Information supplied in the application form, including personal data, will be used by
Defra as set out in the Privacy Notice, available from the Forms and Guidance Portal.

This Privacy Notice must be provided to all individuals whose personal data is
supplied in the application form. Some information may be used when publicising the
Darwin Initiative including project details (usually title, lead partner, project leader,
location, and total grant value).

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