USAID/DRC CDCS TRANSITION OBJECTIVE THREE: Foundation for a durable peace strengthened in eastern DRC.

 

OVERVIEW

The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has remained volatile for the last 20 years. Between 2015 and 2019, USAID/DRC plans to invest approximately $997 million,– roughly two-thirds on humanitarian aid and a third on development assistance -- to strengthen the foundation for a durable peace in eastern DRC. To achieve the Transition Objective (TO) 3 of the Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy, USAID/DRC technical sectors will work together to support interventions that seek practical and inclusive solutions to conflicts. TO 3 activities prioritize the conflict-affected areas of eastern DRC including North and South Kivu, northern Katanga, and parts of Maniema and Orientale.

APPROACH

USAID/DRC’s approach recognizes that transition processes are not linear and will require programmatic flexibility. TO 3 activities have a strong operations research agenda to identify practical solutions to specific drivers of conflict. While TO 3 focuses primarily on local and community level activities in eastern DRC, it also targets important national and regional level institutions and programs that are critical to peace and stability in the region and overarching peace processes. An emphasis is placed on women’s participation in these processes, as experience has shown that Congolese women transcend their political and ideological differences for the interest of the population. The goal is an environment in which sustainable development can occur. Progress will be measured through the following three intermediate results (IRs):

IR 3.1 Practical solutions to specific drivers of conflict identified and accepted – USAID will conduct operations research to identify specific drivers of conflict and potential practical solutions and will involve local, national, regional, and international researchers, practitioners, and diplomats.  

IR 3.2 Promising interventions to establish or solidify peace implemented –Increased citizen engagement in governance and decision making processes are essential to all interventions under IR 3.2, as well as continuing to strengthen service delivery with a conflict sensitive approach. Employing solutions and lessons learned through operations research, IR 3.2 incorporates transitional/stabilization and development activities, and increased participation of community members, particularly women and girls, in decision making, peacebuilding and economic life.

IR 3.3 Humanitarian and protection services provided – The continued provision of humanitarian and protection services will reduce the suffering of internally displaced people and host communities, and when conditions are right, help launch them back on a path to normalcy by providing interim livelihood assistance until they can benefit from more traditional development assistance. Vulnerable populations such as Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) survivors and demobilized children will also be targeted.

ILLUSTRATIVE ACTIVITIES IN KEY SECTORS

Humanitarian – Emergency assistance activities under Food for Peace and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance address food security, health, economic recovery and market systems, humanitarian coordination and information management, hygiene, logistics, relief commodities, and social protection, including the prevention of and response to SGBV.

Health – USAID/DRC programming strengthens Congolese health systems, improves service delivery, and governance to support ending preventable maternal and child deaths. Health activities improve the health status of the population in targeted areas by supporting a systems approach that uses USAID resources as leverage to improve the delivery and management of health services, increase demand for services, and foster health-promoting behaviors. Activities strengthen the provincial planning processes to enhance service delivery, and improve the coverage of a complete package of services for the Congolese population. USAID strengthens local capacity and rapid response with essential services for survivors of SGBV in accordance with best practices and protocols.

Education – USAID increases equitable access to education for out-of-school and conflict-affected youth through programs that allow completion of a primary school curriculum in three years. Education activities strengthen and expand in-service teacher training, provide teaching and learning materials, strengthen school management capacity, promote girls’ education, improve safety and health in schools, strengthen the GDRC’s dual-language instructional models, reduce barriers to access for primary education, and strengthen governance and accountability. Cross-sectoral activities support improved vocational education and reintegration of conflict-affected youth, and undertake behavior change communication messaging on gender roles, gender norms, and prevention of SGBV.

Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) – Activities improve access to justice, especially for victims of SGBV; improve citizen-government relations through training in public financial management and inclusive, integrated local development planning; enhance the ability of government and civil society to establish and implement laws, policies, and procedures to improve the delivery of public services; increase Congolese citizens’ access to information by improving the quality and management of media and strengthening legal protections for journalists; provide civic and voter education and domestic electoral observation; and, enhance the ability of the courts and civil society organizations to monitor and respond to human rights violations, including electoral violence.

Economic Growth and Energy –Agricultural value chain activities increase incomes, food availability, access, and nutritional status, particularly of women and children. Pilot activities to increase supply of renewable energy linked to agricultural value chains and other productive uses will be explored. Activities will scale up conflict-free artisanal and small-scale mining supply chain for tantalum, tin, and tungsten, and establish a pilot traceability system for conflict-free gold in the DRC. USAID will establish Development Credit Authority agreements with partner banks to allow small- and medium-sized enterprises to access credit.

Peace and Stability and Social Protection – Activities reintegrate children associated with armed groups into their communities, promote community recovery and improved livelihoods, and resolve local conflicts in eastern DRC. Support for operations research and analysis in conflict-affected areas will be a priority and will feed back into programs for better results. In addition, social protection programs support access to a holistic set of essential services for SGBV survivors. Community awareness activities and information campaigns promote women’s rights, acceptance of rape survivors and equity for women using various communication approaches that condemn SGBV.

FY 2015 ILLUSTRATIVE RESULTS

• 13,000 vulnerable families have access to land as a result of a program to drain and rehabilitate abandoned farmland.
• USAID humanitarian assistance reached at least 1.5 million beneficiaries.
• USAID supported the departure of 6,500 children from armed groups, including their reunification and reintegration in North and South Kivu.
• Community peace committees identified 481 local level conflicts, and resolved 187 conflicts.
• 4.379 mediations of property disputes have been documented and 2,525 have been resolved by local mediators.
• 120 Village Savings and Loans formed, comprising 3,546 members, including 2,667 women.
• Economic support was provided to 34,000 people for agriculture, village savings and loans, livelihoods.
• More than 2 million people were reached through anti-SGBV messaging.
• Care was provided for more than 35,200 vulnerable persons (including 18,400 survivors of SGBV).