Untapped Northern province gets boost via ILO’s US $ 2.8mn climateresilient development plan

• GROW PROJECT TO RUN FROM 2025-2028
• PROJECT IS FUNDED WITH US $ 1.9MN FROM AUSTRALIA AND US $ 900,000 FROM NORWAY
• PROGRAMME WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH PRIVATE COMPANIES OPERATING IN HIGH-POTENTIAL VALUE CHAINS SUCH AS GHERKIN, SEAWEED, HORTICULTURE AND TILAPIA

 The high-potential but largely untapped Northern province will get a fresh boost with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rolling out a US $ 2.8 million initiative aimed at climate-smart job creation and inclusive economic recovery. Launched in partnership with the government of Australia and government of Norway, the Generating Resilient Opportunities for Work (GROW) project will run from 2025 to 2028.

It targets some of the country’s most vulnerable communities, including over 75,000 womenheaded households and more than 21,000 persons with disabilities, who continue to face the compounded effects of conflict, economic distress and intensifying climate hazards. GROW builds on more than a decade of interventions under the ILO’s Jobs for Peace and Resilience programme, including LEED, LEED+, EGLR and PAVE. Its new phase will drive economic empowerment, promote social inclusion and build climate resilience through initiatives in climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture, social empowerment and market system development.

Funded with US $ 1.9 million from the government of Australia and US $ 900,000 from the government of Norway, the project aligns with both countries’ development strategies, with a strong focus on women’s empowerment, disability inclusion, food security and climate adaptation. The ILO said the programme will work closely with private companies operating in highpotential value chains such as gherkin, seaweed, horticulture and tilapia, while promoting digitisation and community-led empowerment. It will also strengthen government extension services and embed long-term sustainability through institutional capacity building and support for short food value chains.