Busara

If your work touches communications, research, policy, or community engagement, register now and get ahead of the narrative curve. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Join Busara, People Powered and the Democracy Narratives Alliance for a webinar to launch "The Research Brief How to Talk about Democracy: What We Know (and Don’t Know)," which unpacks how narratives can strengthen democracy and why this moment demands sharper, more intentional storytelling.

The stories we tell about democracy matter. They shape how people understand it, whether they feel connected to it, and ultimately whether they choose to participate in it. On 24 March, our Coalition Partner @PeoplePowrd will host the webinar “Democracy Narratives: What works—and what doesn’t”, marking the first public event of the Democracy Narratives Alliance. This conversation will launch new global research synthesizing nearly 400 academic and practitioner publications, evidence from more than 150 studies, and insights from over 30 international organizations and funders, offering one of the most comprehensive looks yet at how narratives can strengthen democratic engagement. At a moment when democratic values are often contested, understanding which narratives resonate, and which may unintentionally fuel disengagement or cynicism, is more important than ever. The discussion will explore how framing, values, and storytelling can inspire participation, along with practical recommendations for communicators, researchers, organizers, and practitioners working to make the case for democracy. The conversation will feature Clara Bois, Partnerships Director at @PeoplePowrd, @dianadajer, Democracy Manager at @fundcorona, Elisenda Ballesté Buxó, Program Manager at the @GloDemCoalition, Gideon Too, Vice President at @BusaraCenter, and Ryan Gem, Learning and Evaluation Manager at @PeoplePowrd. Whether you work in communications, research, policy, community engagement, or organizing, this webinar will offer insights and tools to help strengthen democratic narratives and inspire meaningful participation. For more information and to register, see the link in the comments! #DemocracyNarratives #ParticipatoryDemocracy #DemocracyMatters

Read the full article below to learn how to achieve resilience by diversifying risk and anchoring public health financing within national priorities to mitigate the effects of donor funding cuts. busara.global/blog/what-will…

With widening global financing gaps and HIV/AIDS programs becoming increasingly expensive, African countries must explore innovative domestic revenue models to stabilize national responses. The article by @DrMooh_ and Robert G. Nyaga, PHD outlines potential pathways such as: ✅ Sin taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. ✅ Expanded social health insurance. ✅ Public–private partnerships. ✅ Diaspora bonds. ✅ Debt-for-health swaps. ✅ Blended finance mechanisms. Read the article here: busara.global/blog/what-will…

A year ago, global health financing changed overnight. The ripple effects are still unfolding. When USAID funding froze and the US withdrew from the WHO, HIV programs across Africa did not just lose money. They lost stability, predictability, and operational continuity. USAID-supported health financing contributed to a 15% reduction in mortality in lower- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and helped reduce HIV-related mortality globally by 65%. In one Sub-Saharan African country, 62% of people reported more difficulty accessing PrEP after funding stopped. Nearly half of people living with HIV experienced treatment interruptions. UNAIDS estimates that without restored funding, the world could see 600 additional HIV-related deaths per day and 6.6 million new infections between 2025 and 2029. Read the article here: busara.global/blog/what-will…

Read the full article and download the complete publication through the link below to explore how behavioral science can help design risk solutions that women can actually use. busara.global/blog/at-risk-a…

Key insights from the publication: 📌Women are central decision makers. In one Busara study, 44 percent of married women budgeted savings jointly with their spouses and 14 percent saved independently with occasional spousal support. Financial decisions are relational. 📌Women are not a single category. Age, location, marital status, income level, and social norms shape how risk is experienced and managed. 📌Accessibility drives participation. Aligning sessions with existing savings group meetings and embedding HPV vaccine conversations within hairdresser networks increased engagement. 📌Trust determines uptake. Transparent communication and closing the loop with communities builds long term credibility. This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day, #givetogain , becomes practical here. Give intentional, context specific design to gain meaningful participation and sustained uptake.

Climate risk is reshaping livelihoods across Kenya and Tanzania. Women often carry the financial and social consequences, yet risk management and insurance interventions still struggle with uptake. In “At Risk and Still Overlooked,” Raya Shatry draws from Busara’s fieldwork to show that the gap is not just about affordability or awareness. It is about design.

The article underscores a simple but powerful idea: climate adaptation works best when communities themselves shape the solutions. Behavioral science, local knowledge, and financial protection tools can help communities understand risks, organize collectively, and build systems that support long-term resilience. Read the full article “How Kenya Is Designing Climate-Resilient Communities” on the link below: salzburgglobal.org/newsroom/lates…

A recent article titled “How Kenya Is Designing Climate-Resilient Communities”, written by Dea Safira and published by @SalzburgGlobal Seminar, explores how Kenyan practitioners are shaping practical pathways for communities to anticipate and respond to climate risks. The piece highlights perspectives from Kenyan practitioners including Busara's Engagement Director, Rahab Kariuki and Anne Kamau, who shared their experiences during the @SalzburgGlobal session “Building Resilient Communities: Insurance Solutions for Vulnerable Individuals and Communities.” Their work demonstrates how community-centered models and risk-sharing mechanisms can strengthen resilience while enabling people and wildlife to coexist safely.

Climate resilience sounds like a global policy buzzword until you see what it looks like inside a community dealing with drought, economic shocks, and wildlife conflict. The real story begins when local practitioners, researchers, and communities sit at the same table and start designing solutions that actually work on the ground.

Busara’s journey toward becoming an Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISERC) continues to gain momentum. Last week, members of the Busara committee participated in an intensive five-day training facilitated by National Commission for Science and Technology (@nacosti). Led by the Secretariat team — Antony Mutunga, Gladys Muange, and Robert G. Nyaga, PhD — the committee members underwent rigorous sessions designed to strengthen their understanding of ethical review processes, research governance, and best practices in protecting research participants. This training marks an important milestone as Busara works toward establishing a fully certified ISERC. Our goal is to contribute to strengthening ethical standards and advancing high-quality behavioral science research in Kenya and beyond. We are grateful to National Commission for Science and Technology (@nacosti) for their guidance and support as we take these important steps toward building a robust, credible, and independent ethics review structure that will support responsible and impactful research.

Apply here: jobs.lever.co/BusaraCenter/e…

We’re looking for a MEL Specialist with strong evaluation design, analytical, and learning skills to support evidence generation and decision-making across Busara’s behavioral science projects. You should be confident designing fit-for-purpose evaluation approaches, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, and developing practical MEL tools that support adaptive management. If this looks like what you are interested in and you are an analytical thinker, clear communicator, and collaborative team player who is excited about advancing behavioral science in the Global South, we encourage you to apply on the link below. jobs.lever.co/BusaraCenter/e…

Download the book Climate Change Is a Human Problem to read Raya’s article and explore how behavioral insights can reshape climate solutions. busara.global/our-works/clim…

In climate conversations, women often appear in the story. They rarely shape the script. That gap quietly changes the impact of every intervention. This International Women’s Day, the theme “Give to Gain” pushes a simple but powerful idea into the spotlight. Real progress starts when we give women something many systems still withhold: decision-making power. In her article “At Risk and Still Overlooked: Thinking About How We Design Interventions for Women,” Busara Senior Analyst Raya Shatry examines the uncomfortable questions that sit at the center of climate action and risk management: ✅ What changes when we move from including women to designing with women? ✅ What happens to impact when women are treated as beneficiaries rather than decision makers? ✅ And in a world facing growing climate risk, what does it truly mean to give power in order to gain resilience?