Comic Illustrator - West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program

The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) is looking for a Comic Illustrator to support the program in developing 2-part comic book series to highlight the aims, goals and objectives of the program.

About WA BiCC

The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) program is a five-year learning program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low-emissions growth across West Africa. Although regional in scope and design, WA BiCC focuses on targeted geographical areas within the region to improve governance and policy over critical natural and human systems. By working through the core regional partners, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mano River Union (MRU) and the Abidjan Convention, and with targeted national and sub-national institutions, WA BiCC increases the capacity of institutions at all levels to address the three core WA BiCC components. These are combatting wildlife trafficking, increasing coastal resilience to climate change and reducing deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.

WA BiCC is implemented by Tetra Tech ARD, in association with five subcontractors, also referred to as implementing partners: Palladium, Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), PCI Media Impact (PCI), Born Free USA and Pact, Inc. 

Background

Environmental degradation is strongly linked to poor standards of living in communities dependent on the environment for its resources. People often depend on these resources with no alternatives in arm’s reach, thus depleting the environment and causing harm – sometimes irreversible. Addressing these issues will not only bring benefits to the environment and biodiversity, but also to the people dependent on these environmental resources.

WA BiCC, at its core aims at learning and sharing knowledge information and best practices across the region while increasing awareness on environmental issues such as deforestation, wildlife trafficking, the effects of climate change on coastal communities and their livelihoods. We do this through rigorous communications and sensitization campaigns, producing and distributing information, education and communications materials and behavioral change campaigns that aims at understanding and changing behaviors and practices.

Our awareness campaigns are tailored differently for specific audience. One of our key audience groups is children and youth who would grow up to be leaders in future and therefore vital to be made allies/ambassadors for conservation. One tool we are planning to reach this particular audience is Comics. WA BiCC is planning to produce a comic series with each focusing on one key topic area. These comics will focus on issues that span across the three main components of WA BiCC with a blend of the issues to show how these issues and components intersect and are interrelated. The three series will focus on the depletion of natural resources and how they affect social wellbeing and livelihoods, food security and cultural heritage.

Scope of Work

The Comic Illustrator will work with a comic script writer and WA BiCC to illustrate two 12-page comic books. The characters and scenery must be West African themed with a focus on rural, coastal and forest communities. The stories captured in the comics will range from Wildlife Conservation, Climate Change Mitigation, Reduction of Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss.

The two comic books should follow the style of a comic book that the program has completed. A sample of the comic book art is available here. The comic illustrator should be able to replicate the art style for the two comics.

Deliverables

Specific outputs expected during the consultancy will include:

• Review of comic script
• Consultations with the WA BiCC communications unit and the comic script writer* on script development
• Consultations with the communications unit on the illustration development e.g. iterative review of illustration before art and color.
• Development of two comics using script developed by the script writer
• Take into account recommendations and feedback from WA BiCC’s technical experts

 Required Qualifications:

• Proven experience in illustration, design and comic book development. (Experience in Afrocentric designs preferred).
• Knowledge and experience in environmental issues.