Short-Term Consultancy (Remote) Author/Illustrator

Background

The Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) is a 3-year project that enhances climate resilience and promotes gender equality, social inclusion, and biodiversity protection across three cities: Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa).

Led by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute, and implemented in partnership with local organizations and communities, SUNCASA seeks to address climate change impacts—such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion—through gender-responsive and socially inclusive NbS. These include afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry, urban greening, the removal of invasive alien species, and the creation of vegetated buffer zones in flood-prone areas.

As the project enters the final year of its implementation phase, SUNCASA is placing increased emphasis on ensuring the long-term sustainability of its results by fostering local ownership and building a lasting culture of environmental stewardship. A key priority is to inspire children and youth to recognize the value of NbS and take an active role in protecting the ecosystems and green spaces that support their communities' resilience.

To support this objective, SUNCASA will develop an educational comic book in English that transforms the project's key messages, approaches, and achievements into an engaging, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant learning resource for children and adolescents. Through relatable characters, compelling storytelling, and interactive activities, the comic book will promote awareness of NbS, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation while encouraging young people to take an active role in protecting local ecosystems and sustaining the environmental improvements delivered through the project.

The comic book will serve as a practical education and communication tool for SUNCASA's local partners. It will support classroom learning, community outreach, youth engagement activities, and digital dissemination across the project's three implementation sites. Designed for continued use beyond the project's lifetime, it will contribute to building a lasting culture of environmental responsibility and climate resilience among the next generation.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a high-quality, youth-oriented comic book in English that translates SUNCASA's NbS, climate adaptation approaches and outcomes, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) principles into an engaging educational resource. Through compelling storytelling, vibrant illustrations, and interactive activities, the comic book will help children and young people across all three cities—Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; Kigali, Rwanda; and Johannesburg, South Africa—understand the importance of protecting local ecosystems, strengthening community resilience, and sustaining the environmental improvements achieved through the SUNCASA project. The storyline should inspire a sense of environmental stewardship, community ownership, and responsibility among young audiences.

Working in close collaboration with SUNCASA's Communications team and representatives from local partner organizations, the selected consultant will develop the story concept, script, characters, illustrations, and final publication design. The content should present climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, and community resilience concepts in a relatable, culturally relevant, and age-appropriate manner for children and adolescents (approximately 12–16 years old). The narrative and illustrations should reflect the realities, cultures, and landscapes of SUNCASA's three project cities while maintaining a coherent visual identity throughout the publication.

The final comic book will serve as a timeless educational tool to support school activities, community outreach, and awareness-raising initiatives beyond the project's lifetime. In addition to the main story, it should include interactive learning elements—such as games, quizzes, crosswords, puzzles, colouring pages, and other age-appropriate activities—to reinforce key messages and encourage active participation and learning.

Objectives of the Consultancy

General Objective 

The specific objectives of this assignment are to:

• Develop an engaging and educational comic book in English that showcases SUNCASA’s NbS, climate adaptation approaches and achievements, GESI principles, and community-level impacts through compelling storytelling, appealing illustrations, and interactive activities.
• The comic book should encourage children and young people to develop a stronger understanding of climate resilience, ecosystem protection, and the importance of sustaining the environmental improvements achieved through SUNCASA.
• Transform technical concepts related to climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and community stewardship into accessible, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant stories for audiences aged 12–16.
• Create relatable characters, narratives, and visual elements that represent the realities, cultures, and landscapes of SUNCASA’s three project locations.
• Develop a visually engaging and adaptable educational resource that can be used by SUNCASA and its local partners for school-based activities, community outreach, youth engagement initiatives, and digital communication.
• Based on the final script of the story, the SUNCASA team will adapt the English version to deliver localized language versions of the comic book in Kinyarwanda, Amharic, and Afaan Oromo to ensure accessibility and relevance for communities across the three project sites.

Read the full Terms of Reference here

Short-Term Consultancy (Remote) Author/Illustrator

Application deadline: August 14, 2026

Application Process

All applications must be submitted in English. 

• A cover letter demonstrating relevant skills and approach to the assignment (maximum two pages)
• Resume showcasing relevant experience (maximum two pages), including two work references
• Consultant(s) budget, including the daily rate in USD and proof of rate (e.g., a copy of a previous similar contract of at least 20 days specifying the daily rate)
• Portfolio of relevant previous work in online format, demonstrating experience in
  • comic book development;
  • illustration and visual storytelling;
  • educational or youth-focused communication materials;
  • environmental, climate, sustainability, or community-focused publications (where applicable).

NOTE: Incomplete and late proposals will not be considered for review.