The World Resource Institute announced on Monday, April 17, that it had received Ksh13 billion (USD 100 million) from the Bezos Earth Fund, a foundation founded by the world's third richest person, Jeff Bezos.
In a statement, the institute led by Wanjira Mathai, Wangari Mathai’s daughter, stated that the funds will be channelled towards the restoration of degraded landscapes in three African countries including Kenya.
WRI added that it will restore a local project aimed at encouraging tree planting in Rift Valley among other areas in Congo and Rwanda.
"I am honoured that Restore Local was selected for catalytic funding through ‘The Audacious Project’, which is a clear signal of confidence in locally-led action," Wanjira Mathai, WRI’s Managing Director of Africa and Global Partnerships, stated.
The amount was a four-year contribution towards their Ksh67 billion goal.
“The project will be awarded Ksh13 billion($100 million) over four years to accelerate locally-led land restoration in three African landscapes: the Lake Kivu and Rusizi River Basin area, the Cocoa Belt of Ghana and the Greater Rift Valley of Kenya,” the statement read in part.
Additionally, the statement noted that Bezos Earth Fund had earlier made a contribution of Ksh6 billion towards the project.
The project will be actualised in partnership with 33 African governments targeting the restoration of 100 million hectares of land by 2030.
“This investment is aligned with anchor funding from the Bezos Earth Fund of Ksh6 billion($50 million). This $150 million achieves 30% of the fundraising target of $500 million for philanthropy.
“...the ambitious goals of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), a partnership of 33 African governments with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) as its secretariat,” the statement added.
WRI stated that the project would also enable direct investments in local community-based organisations and small and medium enterprises.
“With support through ‘The Audacious Project’, Restore Local will make direct investments in local community-based organisations and small and medium enterprises.
“It will accelerate restoration activities on the ground, deepen their knowledge and skills, propose and implement supportive policies, and monitor their impact,” noted WRI.
Wanjira is a managing director at the World Resources Institute and Chief Africa Adviser to the Bezos Earth Fund. She was recently named among Time's 100 Most Influential People on Earth.
