In this episode, Antonie Treuren, Program Leader and Business Developer for Woord en Daad, walks us through the steps needed to address the root causes of poverty instead of treating symptoms, as well as why mainstreaming climate change adaptation across all programs is essential.

On this year’s World Day of Social Justice, we speak about: 

• Letting the voice of the local people be heard, our local partners know better. We discuss the steps needed to empower those living in poverty to take on leadership roles and provide them with the necessary support.
• Systems change, it is more than just a buzzword. We discuss Woord en Daad’s guiding policy Value-based systemic change, aimed to influence the root causes of poverty and social-economic inequality. 
• How to shift our mindset from a project-oriented approach to a partnership-focused one.
• Mainstreaming climate change adaptation across all programs using a systems approach.
• The push towards climate-related funds, such as the Loss and Damage Fund, increases competition.
• The Benkadi Project: Woord en Daad’s partnership across four West African countries, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali, focused on policy making, planning and implementation related to climate change. Benkadi, meaning 'working together in the same direction', has a focus on Southern leadership. 
  
  

The project's main objectives include strengthening the position of vulnerable groups and communities in the four countries when it comes to the effects of climate change. It aims to provide equal access for these groups and communities to rights, capabilities, and opportunities to be more resilient to climate change. The project also seeks to implement concrete actions to reduce ecosystem degradation, such as deforestation, coastal erosion, and pollution caused by gold mining. The project aims to work closely with governments, local communities, and the private sector in achieving its goals.

Find out more about the Benkadi Project