Limuru, Kenya -1st to 4th February 2026

Reflections, highlights, and what comes next

The Southern Africa Trust team was proud to support and participate in the recently concluded Regional Climate Resilience Convening for Comic Relief–supported partners, held in Limuru, Kenya.

The convening brought together over 20 civil society organisations from East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, and Latin America, creating a rare and valuable space for partners working in diverse contexts to pause, reflect, learn, and collectively shape a shared climate action agenda for 2026.

This was an intentional space for dialogue, one that enabled partners to speak openly about their experiences of strengthening climate resilience in communities facing the intersecting pressures of climate change, inequality, and shrinking civic space.

One of the strongest themes to emerge was that organisations are at different stages of their climate action journeys. Some partners have been working on climate resilience and justice for many years, with established approaches and deep, long-standing community relationships. Others are newer to the space, still learning how to integrate climate justice into their programming and advocacy.

Despite these differences, the lessons shared resonated widely. Partners reflected on what it takes to respond to floods, droughts, displacement, and extractives-related impacts, while remaining accountable to the communities they serve. Across regions, there was a shared recognition that climate resilience is not merely technical, it is deeply political, social, and relational.

Across the conversations, partners highlighted common challenges, including limited access to climate finance for grassroots actors, pressure to deliver short-term results in long-term struggles, and persistent power imbalances between communities, governments, the private sector, and funders.

At the same time, there was strong consensus that community knowledge must sit at the centre of climate action. Partners repeatedly emphasised that locally grounded, community-led approaches are more adaptive, more sustainable, and more just. When communities, particularly women and young people, are leading, climate responses are stronger and more responsive to lived realities.

A key outcome of the convening was a shared commitment to move beyond dialogue towards ongoing collaboration. Partners agreed to establish five thematic working groups that will continue working together beyond the convening, focusing on:

1. Research and learning
2. Policy advocacy
3. Climate resilience practice
4. Inclusion and community engagement
5. Climate finance

These working groups aim to strengthen collaboration, cross-learning, and solidarity across regions, while ensuring that community voices meaningfully inform research, advocacy, and funding conversations.

Key takeaways

For the Southern Africa Trust, several reflections stand out.

First, cross-regional exchange matters. Learning from diverse contexts deepens collective analysis and expands the possibilities for more effective and just climate action.

Second, climate resilience work must remain politically grounded. It cannot be reduced to technical solutions alone; it must engage directly with questions of power, inequality, and justice.

Third, the need to strengthen the broader ecosystem and infrastructure for climate resilience, beyond climate justice interventions.

Fourth, that context matters, in crafting responsive interventions.

Finally, collaboration is essential. The scale and urgency of the climate crisis demand shared strategies, shared learning, and a strong collective voice.

Looking ahead

As partners return to their communities, the real work continues. The relationships built, insights shared, and commitments made in Limuru provide a strong foundation for deeper collaboration in 2026 and beyond.

The convening served as a powerful reminder that while the climate crisis is ever evolving, complex, and profoundly unjust, there is real strength in solidarity and collective, community-led action, and that strength grows when civil society comes together across regions, experiences, and struggles.