Listening to the pitches [of local governments’ climate projects] has been very insightful for us, as we focus on early-stage project preparation. On the one hand, we got insights into a number of projects presented by very different actors with their own points of view on project preparation. On the other hand, we got a better understanding of the difficulties these diverse actors encounter, which we can take into account when developing trainings or providing support to municipalities.

Makindye Ssabagabo was elevated to a municipality in 2016, raising the community's expectations who anticipated immediate quality services. We identified the critical projects but were resource-constrained. Through TAP, we have fine-tuned key project concepts and interacted with potential funders.

We learned a lot about challenges on the ground and discussed ways to improve the overall planning process. A key factor is early-stage community engagement and the usage and implementation of social and environmental safeguards.

As a project developer and manager in the city of Bukavu (DR.Congo), one thing I could not realize is that I was having limited knowledge about the needs and requirements of funders.

The exposure and feedback we received from the financial experts were very constructive in helping us to develop our project proposal even further.

The prospects of Makindye Municipality in Uganda to access climate funding for its Rail project were boosted after the project was showcased at the Daring Cities Event 2020.