Wolverhampton, UK / Yaoundé, Cameroon – November 2025 (Article en français)
ACE D&H Consultants Ltd and BrightWay Consults SARL are pleased to announce that they have been awarded a US $93,715 grant by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to undertake the Congo Basin Actor Mapping project.
The six-month initiative will generate the most comprehensive mapping to date of organizations, donors, and networks supporting security and safeguarding of rights holders and environmental human rights defenders, renewable energy transition, curbing deforestation and promoting sustainable development across the Congo Basin.
The project aligns with the Packard Foundation’s Global Climate initiative, which partners with funders, organizations, and regional leaders to end tropical deforestation and address climate change.Despite significant investment in the region, critical gaps remain in understanding who is doing what, where, and with what resources. By filling these gaps, the mapping will enable better coordination, more targeted and efficient grant-making, and stronger support for Indigenous and local actors who are central to the region’s ecological and social resilience.
Using a mixed-methods approach—desk research, stakeholder interviews, surveys, and network analysis—the study will cover Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. Outputs will include an accessible database of actors, visual network maps, a field-facing report, and workshops engaging civil-society networks, donors, and community leaders.
“This grant is a recognition of the need for stronger knowledge systems to support communities and actors safeguarding the Congo Basin’s forests,” said Prof. Aurelian Mbzibain, Principal Investigator and CEO of ACE D&H Consultants.
“Through this partnership, we will help the Packard Foundation, its partners and wider Congo Basin actors to identify opportunities for collaboration and direct support to those driving transformative change.”
Félicien Kengoum, Managing Director of BrightWay Consults SARL, added: “Our joint effort will strengthen the visibility of national and grassroots organizations, many of which remain under-represented in regional and global dialogues on climate and biodiversity.”
About the Packard Foundation
Founded in 1964, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation works with people and communities to create enduring solutions for a just society and a healthy, resilient natural world. Its Global Climate Initiative supports community-led action to halt tropical deforestation and promote sustainable development in key forest regions, including the Congo Basin and Indonesia.
www.packard.org
About ACE D&H Consultants
ACE D&H Consultants Ltd is a UK-based international development consultancy specializing in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MERL) for climate resilience, natural-resource governance, and inclusive development across Africa and Asia.
www.ace-dh.org
About BrightWay Consults
BrightWay Consults Sarl, founded in 2017, is an international consultancy firm headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, providing research, capacity building and advisory services on forest governance, climate policy, and natural-resource management across Africa. www.brightwayconsults.com