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DR Congo - North Kivu Resettlement

Country: DR CONGO

Project Title: North Kivu Resettlement Program

Project Designation:   1515

The Need:

The latest outburst of violence and displacement in the North Kivu province of Eastern DRCongo is the result of ongoing conflict between forces loyal to rebel General Laurent Nkunda (CNDP), government troops (FARDC, Rwandan rebels (FDLR), and local ethnic militias. The recent conflict has caused the displacement of 250,000 people, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu to over one million. However, as a result of a ceasefire between the CNDP and FARDC and the lack of livelihoods and assistance in IDP camps and city centers, a significant portion of the population is returning to their home areas.

Returnees face significant disincentives when contemplating return to their home area. In many cases, they must return to areas controlled by the very forces that occasioned the original flight. They return to their villages without the inputs needed to recommence agricultural activities, and have little to eat. Locally owned fields, crops and seed stocks are looted to feed combatants, houses are pillaged and sometimes destroyed, as roofing and construction materials are a valuable commodity to poorly paid and unpaid combatants. Public infrastructure is invariably closed, damaged or destroyed in the process as well.

The Need:

The overall objective of this project is to assist with the re-integration of 10,000 returnee families by providing them the means to restart their agricultural livelihood activities with needed agricultural inputs (seeds, tools) as well as basic agricultural trainings (improved cropping practices).

1. 10,000 households are to receive 15 kg maize seed; 15 kg of bean seed, a packet of mixed vegetable seed, and 2 hoes.

2. 100% of household beneficiaries are to plant distributed (staple and vegetable) seed.

3. 10,000 households are to be trained in sustainable vegetable production techniques.

4. 9 contact groups are to be formed and trained.

WRC's Response

This project was completed the end of October 2009 and the actual outputs are...

1. 10,000 households received 15 kg maize seed, 15 kg beans seed and vegetable seed crops and 2 hoes.
2. 100% of beneficiary households that received the seed actually planted them.
3. 10,000 households are trained in vegetable crop-growing techniques.
4. Creation of 9 contact groups and training in vegetable crop-growing techniques.

The results of the post-harvest surveys conducted by the WRC staff and the evaluation survey showed that more than half of beneficiaries had good harvests.  Part of these crops were used for domestic consumption (household level).  Another part of the crop was sold to make money.  Another portion of these crops was kept for the next planting:  the intervention program has thus allowed beneficiaries to continue the crop cycle on their own after they had lost their property in war.  This is very necessary for beneficiaries in assisting them recover their human dignity (the beneficiaries may now depend on their own efforts and not live at the expense of others).

There are contact groups which can afford vegetable seeds for themselves from the production obtained and the internal organization (pooled funds).  Non-beneficiaries of the program confirm that children of program beneficiaries go to school regularly since the time they are being supported by WR and they are no longer hungry because they regularly eat from their crops.

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis happening in the world today. Together, let’s seize this opportunity to respond. And perhaps we can be a part of what could be the world’s greatest outpouring of concern and action ever for this troubled part of Africa.

WRC has been there and will continue there providing emergency food aid and a way home for children and their families. 

Beneficiary Story:

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