Burundi – Improved Livelihoods for Burundi’s Rural Youth

Below please find a brief feature story prepared by our Program Assistant Christine Bohne,  on the establishment of the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) approach within our Haguruka Youth project.

Thanks to all of our partners supporting this project and for making it a reality.

Improved Livelihoods for Burundi’s Rural Youth

LWF Burundi recently established Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) as part of the Haguruka Youth Empowerment Project, a program that consists of activities that empower and enable young people to understand and claim their rights, improve their practice of sustainable agriculture, and reduce their dependence on agriculture through the creation of opportunities in other fields.

The primary objective of JFFLS is to encourage innovation and experimentation by groups of rural farmers in the hope that they will discover which agricultural practices are most productive and most sustainable.

Youth in Muvumu attend to their JFFLS test plot © LWF Burundi

This test plot in Muvumu, a village in eastern Burundi, was donated by the provincial government to LWF’s JFFLS project. Thirty youth conduct a wide range of comparison experiments here during their weekly meetings. They are currently on their first round of experimentation, which involves empirically determining the comparative yields of different crop varieties and the effects of different types of fertilizer.

The JFFLS approach is particularly suited to Burundi.  Because conflict was so recent, suspicions and resentments persist in a lot of communities.  Additionally, because of overpopulation, many young people are facing the prospect of trying to establish livelihoods with limited access to land.  The agricultural component of JFFLS provides young Burundians with the skills they need to get more out of their land while also protecting it and ensuring the longevity of agricultural enterprises.  The life skills component of JFFLS helps youth to adopt a cooperative and progressive approach to life and their livelihoods by supplementing the agricultural trainings with sessions covering a wide variety of topics such as family planning and business.

The bean plants on the left were fertilized with manure. The plants on the right were grown in the traditional manner without any fertilizer. © LWF Burundi

The reception of JFFLS has been positive. Lydia, Annonciate, and Dadas are eager to implement the farming activities they learned on the JFFLS test plot on their fields at home. “I’ve learned how to farm on line and use manure. Before, my family never used fertilizer, now I know how important it is. We only have enough manure at home for part of our plot though because we only have one goat, but there I see a difference already”, said Lydia.

In addition to learning new agriculture techniques to improve their livelihoods, the youth in the Haguruka project receive trainings on business and entrepreneurship. Dadas explained that he learned about ways to increase his profit from selling crops at the local market. “You have to look at the local conditions and see what is available where. I now sell peanuts and avocados where they are not as abundant, so I make more than when I sold them at the market by my house”.

Dadas, Annonciate, Lydia, and LWF colline facilitator Pierre on their JFFLS plot in Muvumu. © LWF Burundi

The youths all stated that the biggest obstacles they face in improving their livelihoods is lack of land and insufficient start-up money. However, with the new skills they’ve picked up and will continue to learn over the next three years in Haguruka, they are all confident they will reach their goals: all three youths are working hard to improve their livelihoods so they can buy livestock for their families.

Haiti – Workshop on climate change adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

Article which appeared on 4th April in the “Nouvelliste” newspaper in Haiti – written by Jean Pharès Jérôme

Haïti prépare sa participation à la conférence Rio+20

Haïti:Un atelier régional (Sud – Grand’Anse) sur l’adaptation au changement climatique et la réduction des risques et désastres s’est tenu à Jérémie (Décadé) les 30 et 31 mars 2012. Des dizaines de participants venus des deux départements, dont le sénateur Maxime Roumer, des maires, des membres d’organisations écologiques et des étudiants y ont pris part.

Organisé par Actalliance – un regroupement d’ONG chrétiennes – et la fondation nouvelle Grand’Anse (FNGA), le forum visait, entre autres, à renforcer la compréhension commune des composantes du changement climatique et la réduction des risques de catastrophe ainsi que leurs connexions dans le contexte haïtien. Les participants devaient aussi identifier les défis communs auxquels les deux départements sont confrontés et qui empêchent la mise en application des mesures d’adaptation au changement climatique et de réduction des risques et de désastres.

Cet atelier de deux jours a été l’occasion pour les panélistes d’exposer les problèmes environnementaux auxquels font face les deux départements frappés, au cours des dernières années, par des cyclones récurrents et des inondations. Le déboisement, les constructions anarchiques, les mauvaises pratiques agricoles figurent parmi les problèmes soulevés par les intervenants. La région est aussi traversée par des failles sismiques.

« Le Projet d’Urgence de Gestion des risques et désastres (PUGRD) dans les 12 communes du département ; le projet de la DINEPA pour l’Alimentation en eau potable de la population de Pestel et des kiosques de distribution dans 15 localités ; la réponse au choléra par la DSGA et ses partenaires ; les projets de cash for work du PAM » sont quelques-uns des projets de mitigation de risque dans le département de la Grand’Anse, cités par Sylvera Guillaume, responsable de la protection civile dans la zone. Il n’y existe pas cependant d’activités liées à l’adaptation au changement climatique.

Pour le département du Sud, les projets identifiés par Renel Jean du bureau de la Protection civile sont : le projet de relèvement immédiat du PNUD avec des activités antiérosives et aménagement de berges des rivières ; le projet d’alerte précoce ; le projet de drainage de la ville des Cayes ainsi que le projet de la DINEPA pour l’Alimentation en eau potable de la population avec des mesures d’accompagnement.

A côté des exposés sur le thème de l’atelier, les participants ont eu à faire, à l’issue des discussions en groupe, des propositions en vue de résoudre les problèmes identifiés et de s’adapter au changement climatique. « Les participants ont porté beaucoup d’intérêt aux discussions », s’est réjoui Jean Max Milien, le coordonnateur du forum Actalliance Haïti CC/RRD, annonçant que d’autres ateliers sur le même thème vont se tenir dans d’autres régions du pays.

Le maire de Chambellan, Chevalier Vidal, a, pour sa part, salué la tenue de cet atelier de deux jours dans le département de la Grand’Anse. « C’est important de réfléchir sur les stratégies à adopter pour faire face au changement climatique », a-t-il déclaré, dénonçant la coupe anarchique des arbres comme le principal problème environnemental pour le département de la Grand’Anse. Abondant dans le même sens, le maire de Moron, Jorel Georges, pense que cet atelier de deux jours va ouvrir les yeux des autorités et des organisations de la société civile sur la nécessité de protéger l’environnement. D’après lui, la région Sud/Grand’Anse subit déjà les conséquences du changement climatique. Les inondations récurrentes et le phénomène des fourmis folles qui ravagent les plantations des paysans dans les communes de Moron/Chambellan en sont la preuve.

Les résultats des ateliers régionaux, a indiqué Jean Max Milien, vont aboutir à l’élaboration d’un cahier des charges éloquent autour du changement climatique et de la réduction des risques et des désastres. Ledit document sera remis aux autorités haïtiennes dans le cadre de la participation d’Haïti au forum mondial sur le développement durable, Rio +20, qui se tiendra en juin prochain au Brésil. Cette conférence fera suite à la Conférence internationale de Rio sur l’environnement et le développement, tenue en 1992 dans la même ville.

Jean Pharès Jérôme

[The workshop was supported by the LWF last week (30-31 March 2012) in Grand Anse in cooperation with FNGA and the ACT Alliance Climate Change/DRR Working Group.

The next step is a national workshop on April 24, organized by ACT Alliance Climate Change/DRR Working Group in cooperation with the Haitian Ministry of Environment, on the theme 'Haitian Civil Society and Rio+20'.]

Mauritania – 10th Sitrep on the Crisis in the Sahel

LWF/DWS Mauritania Program

SITREP # 10 (April 9, 2012)

In Mali, president Amadou Toumani Toure formally resigned on Sunday as part of a deal with coup leaders to end the crisis gripping the country. Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, and International mediator has confirmed a letter of resignation had been submitted. Dioncounda Traore is to be sworn in as interim president and the coup leaders will be able to step aside without fear of prosecution. Mr Traore is said to organize presidential elections within 40 days.

In Senegal, people have just come out of what seems to be a good electoral campaign where the former Prime Minister of the outgoing President won. The Constitutional Court of Senegal has released the final results on March 25 and the new president Macky Sall won in the second round with 65.80% of the votes. This was made official on April 3, 2012 and the maturity of the people of Senegal was welcomed by all Election observers from the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and civil society.

The population at camp Mbera in eastern Mauritania has steadily increased by the 7th April was estimated to be 48,033 people  (or 9775 households). The health situation appears to be relatively under control. First aid is delivered by the health center set up by MSF and the Health Station installed by the regional health services of the Government with the support UNHCR

Actions taken by LWS/DWS

• The storage capacity at Mbera camp was increased in a joint effort by sector operators (Solidarity, MSF, UNHCR). Emphasis in the coming days will be on sanitation and hygiene through health training of the community and following completion by the LWF of a camp clean up operation.
• LWF began installing the first batch of 1,412 tents (as the first of 4000 planned) to house more than 15,000 people who remained homeless after the installation phase when 5,000 tents where set up in the camp. Higher temperatures combined with lack of water and sanitation undeveloped areas expose these populations to extreme living conditions.

Actions taken by other stakeholders

• UNICEF and Intersos were to begin teaching activities for 1487 school age children at Mbera camp. After consultation with the Government and representatives of the refugees, it was agreed to adopt the program and include two Malian curriculum subjects. The opening of classes scheduled during the week of May 31 to June 5, 2012 was postponed due to last minute adjustments with the regional administration.
• 1,500 latrines are to be built at Camp Mbera by Solidarity and the UNHCR to complement the 80 existing latrines which remain largely unsatisfactory.
• WFP program is deploying a 19 seater air plane to facilitate and secure the humanitarian and technical missions (Nouakchott / Nema), WFP has also deployed a rental stores in Bassiknou of 200 mt for partners (NFIs, equipment, materials, medicines etc.) and 2 trucks of 7 mt of capacity for the transport of goods of humanitarian partners.

Thomas Ekelund
Chargé de communication/Communications Officer
Fédération Luthérienne Mondial/Lutheran World Federation
Programme Mauritanie

Mauritania – 9th Sitrep on the Crisis in the Sahel

LWF/DWS Mauritania Program

SITREP # 9 (April 2, 2012)

The situation of the Sahel Region remains volatile in terms of security. In Mali, the military junta seized power on 22 March by coup d’état. It has been reported that the MNLA Rebels and Ansar Dine Fighters captured the city of Kidal, Gao and Tombouctou. This may lead to increased massive displacement of people.

In Senegal, the results of the second round of the presidential elections were officially announced; Macky Sall won the elections with 65.8%. The former President Wade democratically accepted the results. This has been regarded as a good lesson of democracy for Africa and it has contributed to sustain peace in Senegal.

In Mauritania, reviews of the EMEL Programme (Government emergency response plan) have been conducted in some areas.  The efforts made by the Government of Mauritania have been acknowledged. The Government has devoted a considerable portion of its budget for subsidizing food in order to reduce the effects of drought on the population. However, it has been observed some problems in terms of the implementation of the EMEL, including identification of vulnerable people, conditions regarding the support to pastoralists, management of shops, etc.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, visited the Mbeur Malian Refugees Camp. He declared: Mali is experiencing a terrible humanitarian crisis. There are more than 180,000 Malians who have been displaced internally and outside the country;  He called for international solidarity to the Malian Refugees and the host communities  who are also affected by the drought. He concluded that mobilization of the international community is essential.

WFP/UNHAS will start its operations in Mauritania. Starting from next week, there will be flights from Nouakchott to Kiffa, Aioun, Nema and Kaedi. The flights will be every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

 Actions from LWF/DWS

• The LWF/DWS Mauritania Finance Department will be headed by Hodevia Niyirera, the newly appointed Finance and Administration Manager
• Demba Niang, the newly hired Mbeur Camp Manager arrived in Mauritania
• Prepared and submitted a second budget to UNHCR related to the construction of temporary shelters in Mbeur Malian Refugee camp
• Attended coordination meetings around the Malian Refugees emergency response both in Bassikounou and Nouakchott
• Finalized a proposal for a cash transfer project aiming at providing support to 11,250 households from Nouakchott. This is part of the WFP Programme in Mauritania
• Started the identification of the vulnerable households in the ACT project location by local implementing partners
• Plans to provide additional support in water and sanitation to the Malian Refugees
• Thomas Ekelund, the Communications Officer, will arrive in Mauritania on April 5 

Actions from other Stakeholders

• ICRC, MSF and Solidarité continued to provide water to the Refugees
• The Government of Mauritania through its ministry of Hydraulic has planned to drill boreholes in Mbeur
• UNICEF started the training of Community Health Workers in the camp
• WHO has provided medical equipment and pharmaceuticals
• WFP has already prepositioned food in Bassikounou to assist up to 58,000 Refugees
• UNICEF has provided tents for the construction of the schools (40 classrooms) to accommodate 1,400 children
• INTERSOS has been selected for the education sector

Thank you for your continued support,

Sincerely yours,

Kasongo Mutshaila

Fédération Luthérienne Mondiale (FLM)/Entraide Mondiale

Représentant Résident – Mauritanie

Mauritania – 8th Sitrep on the Crisis in the Sahel

LWF/DWS Mauritania Program

SITREP # 8 (March 26, 2012)

The overall situation of the Sahel Region has been mainly marked by turbulence, including the coup d’état in Mali. This situation may have additional effects on the current crisis in the region. It will probably lead an increase of Malian Refugees in Niger and Mauritania.

UNHCR has completed the transfer of Malian Refugees from Fassala to Mbeur. As per the recent statistics provided by UNHCR, there are 44,916 Refugees (or 9,058 households) in Mbeur Camp. With the end of the transfer process, Fassala has been considered as a transit site.

WFP is preparing a cash transfer project. This project will provide emergency support to 11,250 households from Nouakchott and 15,000 households from rural areas. The lifespan of this project is 9 months, starting from April to December 2012. The cash transfers will be done through the BMCI Bank and using the phone banking.

FAO is currently implementing 3 projects for a total amount of US$ 1.4 million. These projects aim at improving livelihoods of the most vulnerable pastoralist and agro-pastoralist populations from the southern part of the country.

Actions from LWF/DWS

• The LWF/DWS Representative continued discussion with WFP about partnering around the cash transfer project in Nouakchott
• Deployed National Staff to Mbeur for the camp management
• Carried out community sanitation actions through NFIFW (non food items for work)
• Finalized the hiring process of the Mbeur Camp Manager and tomorrow, he will travel to Mauritania
• Finalized the hiring process of the Communications Officer and started preparing his travel to Mauritania early April
• Field coordination meetings in Mbeur have been conducted and chaired by LWF/DWS
• Attended coordination meetings around the Malian Refugees emergency response both in Bassikounou and Nouakchott

Actions from other Stakeholders

• World Vision and Oxfam have planned to implement cash transfers in some rural areas
• WFP has established food warehouses in Nema and Bassikounou. At the present, there is 250 MT in Bassikounou
• WHO has planned to carry out Polio immunization from March 23 – 26 in Hodh El Charghi, including Mbeur Camp
• Solidarité has managed to construct 74 latrines in the camp
• CSA which is a Government service in charge of food security is dealing with food warehousing and distribution in the Mbeur Camp
• ALPD (national NGO) is working with UNHCR in the registration of the Refugees

Sincerely yours,

Kasongo Mutshaila

Fédération Luthérienne Mondiale (FLM)/Entraide Mondiale

Représentant Résident – Mauritanie

Nepal – Water brings happiness to a rural community in Nepal

Morang, Nepal/ 21 March 2012

by Regional Office (East), LWF Nepal

Spending time in productive work was just a dream for Dhan Maya BK of Yangshila village of Morang district of Eastern Nepal a couple of years back but her dream turned into reality thanks to the support extended by a local development organization.

Dhan Maya BK of Yangshila village of Morang district of Eastern Nepal, irrigating her vegetable yard. © LWF/DWS Nepal

Dhan Maya and other 42 households of the village used to walk for hours to fetch a pot of water as the village did not have a reliable water source. They have to rely on water collected from very far, so, they have less time to think about personal hygiene and engage in other productive activities. They have to rely on the water carried from long distances to meet their household needs like drinking, cooking food, washing clothes, feeding cattle and others, so they could not think of irrigation and producing crops in their land.

People faced problems for growing vegetables as they did not have a proper irrigation source and were deprived from fresh vegetables. “We could not think of other productive works as we have to spend many time for collecting water,” recalls Dhan Maya.

As they were facing problem of water for years, the villagers knocked the doors of many development agencies but many such development agencies did not prioritize the issue. However, the community members continued their efforts. The Rural Community Development Organization provided NPR 120,000 (approx. 1200 Euros) to the community through Salghari Samudayik Sanstha (Group), which was financially and technically supported by the Lutheran World Federation Nepal, for constructing a water supply pipeline.

LWF Nepal has been supporting people of rural and poor communities since 1984. Encouraged from the support provided by the agency, the community people volunteered to work as labor for the construction work. They have been able to construct a piped water supply system from upstream of the river, 2 kms from the village, thanks to the generous support provided by the organization and hard-work of the community.

Following completion of the construction work, the community are happy to get water at their courtyard and have been able to invest their time in productive activities like vegetable farming and have been able to pay attention to personal hygiene. After they received water in their village, even women members of the community have been involved in income generating activities like vegetable farming.

Dhan Maya BK of Yangshila village of Morang district of Eastern Nepal, irrigating her vegetable yard. © LWF/DWS Nepal

“I have been able to send my children to school with appropriate uniforms and can feed them in a proper way as a result of income generated from sale of vegetables produced in my field,” says Dhan Maya, adding, “Having water in the community has also increased my income.”

The impact has been tremendous – consumption of fresh vegetables has increased at household level, incomes have increased at a community level through the sale of vegetables, sanitation & hygiene has improved as families now have adequate water in their homes and the use, number  and maintenance of permanent toilets has also increased in the community.

Burundi – Community Priority setting in Burundi

by Christine Bohne , LWF Burundi Program Assistant and Princeton in Africa Fellow.

Participatory, rights-based approaches are integral to LWF’s work in Burundi.  That’s why we were excited to revisit the open-air community hall at Gacokwe for a meeting of colline chiefs and representatives from Musha and Gacokwe that would set priorities for the upcoming year of the Community Empowerment Project (CEP).  In a rights-based approach, the nature, quantity and duration of support are determined by the community, and indeed, the gathering at the hall was a representative cross-section of village life, with elders, youth and the in between crowding the low wooden benches, and muddied but happy babies scrabbling about on the floor. Past the hall’s low walls and over a wide valley the landscape rolled into the hills that mark the border with Tanzania, and goats grazing on patches of Lantana dotted the scenery nearby, seemingly waiting to be turned into brochettes.

Community members gather in Gacokwe to discuss their plans for 2012 © LWF/Christine Bohne

Inside, members of associations of livestock, agriculture, and alternative-income generating activities split apart and began brainstorming to focus on what issues they wanted addressed in 2012 and the kind of solutions that LWF may be able to offer. The groups reconvened after a one hour work session to share their lists of priorities with the gathering and with CEP Field Officer Evariste Kabura, who officiated the meeting.

The priorities they chose can be grouped into three categories: social infrastructure, agriculture and livestock improvements, and alternative-income generating opportunities.

For social infrastructure projects both Gacokwe and Musha collines requested a health center as they currently must walk up and down hilly dirt paths for over 10 km to reach the nearest clinic. They would also like to rehabilitate the road and bridge connecting the two collines and leading to the Tanzanian border. Other suggestions included renovating the potable water schemes, primary school, and adult literacy class building. The need for additional communal seed storage facilities was also voiced.

In a change from the last few years, community members no longer simply requested for LWF to build these things for them, but asked for assistance in return for community labor for the projects.

Livestock and agriculture projects that were prioritized include trainings on agro forestry, soil erosion control, and growing fruit trees, milk cow initiatives, plant nurseries, and veterinary services for livestock.

Alternative-income generating activities that were deemed especially important include bamboo furniture making courses, stone transformations, soap making, fruit juice businesses, bakeries, and English and Swahili lessons to facilitate working in other East African Community countries, particularly Tanzania, which is only a few kilometers away.

Manirakiza Susan, age 25 and mother of four, said that her concerns were all addressed at the meeting. “Many ideas were raised at this meeting that will improve agriculture and livestock activities in my colline.” She also advocated for a course on conflict management for leaders enrolled in the CEP Leadership Course.

Manirakiza with seven month old daughter Teriteka Denise © LWF/Christine Bohne

With the end of CEP Phase I in December 2011, the community priority-setting meetings that took place in all seven affiliated collines at the beginning of February were especially important because they both set priorities for this year and precedents for the whole of CEP Phase II.

CEP intends to transition communities from emergency-relief aid to a sustainable, empowering development approach. The second phase represents the crux of this transition as LWF moves away from distributions to focus nearly exclusively on capacity building trainings. Mr. Kabura has already seen this change take hold in the minds of the participants. “This year people requested a lot more trainings and less handouts like livestock, seeds, and other agricultural inputs than they did last year,” said Kabura.