Building Resilience Through Collective Action

Building Resilience Through Collective Action

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges facing urban poor communities became increasingly urgent with multiplying and life-threatening spillover effects including food-security, inability to generate income, increased gender-based violence, and discontinuation of the most basic pre-pandemic basic services (such as health, school, water and sanitation). 

Confronted with limited resources and mounting vulnerabilities, addressing these challenges requires investments in locally-led solutions and partnerships that support communities to build their resilience for future shocks and stresses of urban informal living.

Cities Alliance in partnership with its member Slum Dwellers International (SDI), and with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has put together the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements programme to support civil society organiszations working in informal settlements across 16 countries. 

The programme has awarded grants to local NGOs to support federations of urban poor within the SDI network in Botswana, Brazil, Ghana, India, Liberia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In Phase I (2020-2021), the programme supported civil society groups in addressing the social, economic, and health impacts of the pandemic in informal settlements. Phase II (2022-2024) focused on aiding communities in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and establishing resilient environments. Phase III (2024) aims to support Locally-Led Climate Change Innovation, particularly by bolstering youth- and women-led responses to climate change challenges in informal settlements across the 16 countries. 

This brochure is a result of the programme activities carried out from 2020 to 2024, showcasing the transformative initiatives and key achievements in strengthening civil society organiszations. It highlights significant progress in empowering communities, driving data-informed decisions, enhancing leadership capacities, improving essential services and infrastructure, promoting knowledge exchange, fostering collaborative partnerships, and championing climate adaptation.

“The programme highlights the crucial role of partnerships in tackling the complex challenges faced by informal settlements.”