Michelo Simweete is an experienced development professional with a strong track record in grants management, proposal development, donor compliance, and project coordination. As Head of Funding and Grants Management for Project Yananai in Zambia, he leads the national team’s fundraising efforts – identifying funding opportunities, developing high‑quality proposals, and managing relationships with institutional donors, foundations, and government partners.

Michelo holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Lusaka and a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from the University of Zambia. He has extensive experience in tender and proposal management, having led the development of Expressions of Interest (EoIs), concept notes, and full proposals for international donors while serving as Tender and Project Manager at NIRAS International Consulting, where he also managed an £8 million climate justice programme and a €2.9 million MSME growth project. He has served as Project Officer for Hivos Southern Africa’s Voices for Just Climate Action programme, overseeing monitoring, evaluation, learning, and sub‑grantee compliance, and as Partnerships Coordinator for a Scottish Government‑funded climate justice initiative. Michelo has also held roles as Projects Coordinator at the Zambia Land Alliance, Programmes Officer at the Centre for Environment Justice, and National Coordinator at the Zambia Climate Change Network.

Fluent in English, Tonga, Nyanja, and Bemba, Michelo is a member of the Zambia Network of Environmental Educators and Practitioners (ZANEEP) and the Zambia Monitoring and Evaluation Association (ZaMEA). He is passionate about securing sustainable funding that enables Project Yananai to scale its Community Learning Hubs, life skills training, and relief operations across Zambia.