InterAction Member Activity Report

The Great Lakes

A Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of
InterAction Member Agencies in Burundi, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda

December 2003

Photo by David Snyder

Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services

Produced by Alix Dvorak

With the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Unit of

1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 701, Washington DC 20036

Phone (202) 667-8227 Fax (202) 667-8236
Website: http://www.interaction.org
 Table of Contents

Great Lakes Country Maps 3

Background Summary 5
Report Summary 10
Organizations by Country 11
Organizations by Sector Activity 12
Glossary of Acronyms 15

InterAction Member Activity Report

ACDI/VOCA 17
Action Against Hunger 19
Adventist Development and Relief Age ncy International 24
Africare 29
Air Serv International 36
American Friends Service Committee 38
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee 40
Baptist World Aid 41
CARE 42
Catholic Relief Services 51
Christian Children’s Fund 54
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee 56
Church World Service 59
Concern Worldwide 61
Food for the Hungary 66
Heifer International 69
Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. 71
International Medical Corps 73
InterAction Member Activity Report for 1
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Interna tional Rescue Committee 77
Lutheran World Relief 87
Refugees International 91
Save the Children 93
Trickle Up Program 100
U.S. Committee for Refugees 103
U.S. Fund for UNICEF 105
United Methodist Committee on Relief 110
USA for UNHCR 113
World Relief 117
World Vision 120

InterAction Member Activity Report for 2

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Great Lakes Individual Country Maps
Individual country maps courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency / World Fact Book

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the

Congo

InterAction Member Activity Report for 3

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Rwanda

Uganda

InterAction Member Activity Report for 4

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Background Summary

Introduction
The Great Lakes region of Africa is home to some of the world’s poorest nations; Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda all rank among the 30 least
developed countries according to the 2003 Human Development Report. These countries have
also been hotbeds of conflict and instability since their independence from colonial powers in the
early 1960s. Successive wars have wrecked the region’s physical and economic infrastructure
and the cost to governments of maintaining military power has affected their ability to support
development. The violence has directly and indirectly contributed to the deaths of millions and
to massive population displacements both within countries and across their borders. The use of
child soldiers is widespread throughout the region, and many have grown up to regard violence
as a way of life. Insecurity is a grave concern, and humanitarian access remains difficult in
many areas.

Burundi
Ten years of civil war have plagued this small but populous nation causing 300,000 deaths and
prompting the flight of 400,000 refugees, and the internal displacement of another 400,000
persons (IDPs). Burundi is also host to over 40,000 refugees from neighboring conflicts, the
majority of whom are from the DRC. Drought and infectious disease have added to the toll of
war. Malaria is the leading cause of death in Burundi as the number of people affected has
soared from 200,000 in 1984 to over three million in 2002. HIV/AIDS continues to be a grave
problem, with over 250,000 children orphaned by the disease.

Burundi, like Rwanda, has been a hotspot of ethnic tensions between a ruling Tutsi minority and
a Hutu majority. Civil war broke out again in 1993, after democratic elections produced the
country’s first Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye. His presidency was cut short when factions of
the Hutu-run military assassinated him in October of that year, sparking the conflict. The
violence and unrest were exacerbated the following year, when the plane carrying both
Burundian President Cyprien Ntayamira and Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot
down, an event that triggered the genocide in Rwanda.

Peace talks have taken place repeatedly over the past decade, most ending in failure. However,
in 2000, the Arusha Accords were signed, leading to the establishment of a three-year
transitional government for Burundi. These accords led to another round of talks in the fall of
2003. The October Pretoria Protocols between President Nadayizeye’s transitional government
and the main rebel group, the Conseil National Pour la Defense de la Democratie-Forces Pour la
Defense de la Democratie (CNDD-FDD) led by Pierre Nkurunziza resulted in a ceasefire
between the government and CNDD-FDD forces. Nkurunziza has since returned to Bujumbura
to take his place in the government, as agreed in the accords, and the FDD fighters are beginning
their integration into the government and army.

The main remaining obstacle to peace in Burundi is the oldest and second largest rebel group, the
Forces for National Liberation (FNL). The FNL has refused to participate in any of the peace
talks with the government, and says it will only negotiate with the Tutsi leadership of the army.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 5
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Fighting is now largely concentrated in Bujumbura Province, which is a stronghold of the FNL.
The government has issued a February 2004 ultimatum for the FNL to participate in peace talks
and threatened the use of force if the rebels refuse, raising the possibility of renewed violence if
the FNL continues to reject direct talks.

A decade of war has affected all areas of life for the people of Burundi. The country’s economy
has suffered, intensifying already widespread poverty, and a concurrent drought and crop failure
have contributed to the humanitarian crisis. The population has been subjected to systematic
looting and robbery by poorly paid troops, and human rights violations, including rape, torture,
and murder have characterized the conflict. The vast majority of casualties have been civilians,
principally women and children. The violence has also forced many people to flee their homes
and disperse to over 200 IDP camps across Burundi. The conditions in these camps are poor.
Over 70 percent of IDPs lack access to potable water and 30 percent are without adequate
sanitation facilities. Sexual violence and the breakdown of family structures in IDP camps are
also contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Returning refugees who cannot go back to their
homes because of the fighting are putting a further strain on the camps. Years of conflict have
left parts of Burundi littered with landmines that have claimed hundreds of innocent lives.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

With an area the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River, the DRC is home to more
than 50 million people and over 200 ethnic groups. Complicated by the involvement of several
of rebel factions, ethnic tensions and external interference, conflicts have plagued the DRC since
its independence from Belgian colonial control in 1960. The actors currently involved include
the Congolese Mai-Mai militias, the Forces Democratiques du Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR),
Ressemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RCD), the Mouvement pour la Liberation du
Congo (MLC), the Hutu Interahamwe militia from Rwanda, and the ex-FAR, a faction of the
former Rwandan national military. Several African nations have been involved in the conflict,
which has been largely concentrated in the eastern part of the country. The protracted violence
in the DRC has created one of the world’s worst complex emergencies, directly or indirectly
resulting in the deaths of between 3 and 3.5 million people.

The current conflict had its roots in 1996, after Hutu refugee camps in the eastern region of the
DRC (then Zaire) had become a base for the Interahamwe, which played a lead role in the
planning and execution of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. In October of 1996, Rwandan and
Ugandan forces entered Zaire to back the Congolese Alliance du Forces Democratiques pour la
Liberation du Congo-Zaire (AFDL), which was led by Laurent-Desire Kabila. These combined
forces marched toward the capital, Kinshasa, with the intention of ousting then-President Joseph
Mobutu, who had been in power since the mid-1960s and was notorious for his corruption,
human rights abuses, and suppression of any opposition to his regime.

After failed peace talks between Mobutu and Kabila, Mobutu fled and Kabila declared himself
president of a new regime in the DRC. Soon thereafter, his foreign backers fell out of favor with
Kabila and he requested that all foreign troops withdraw from the newly renamed Democratic
Republic of the Congo. Not only did most foreign troops refuse to leave, but additional troops
entered.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 6

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
In August 1998 fighting erupted throughout the country as Rwandan forces prepared to
overthrow Kabila. With assistance from Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, Kabila pushed the
rebel forces back to eastern DRC, where they have since established control. Soon after,
Ugandan forces joined with the Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo (MLC), another
Congolese rebel group, and gained control of the northern third of the country. At this point the
country was divided into three regions, each under the control of a separate group. In July of
1999, the parties signed the Lusaka Accords, calling for a cease- fire and a UN peacekeeping
mission (MONUC).

Conditions improved in early 2001, when the son of Laurent Kabila, Joseph Kabila, took power
after his father was assassinated and reversed many of his predecessor’s policies. Joseph Kabila
dropped his father’s opposition to MONUC, and many of the foreign troops from Angola,
Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda pulled out of the DRC. Kabila also agreed to allow the Inter-
Congolese Dialogue to go forward, although Rwandan-backed Congolese rebels did not
participate and the talks ended without a comprehensive agreement.

Despite relative calm in the rest of the DRC, the conflict continues in the eastern portion of the
country, most notably in the Ituri district and in North and South Kivu. The conflict has been
financed largely by the abundant natural resources of the area, including diamonds, gold, timber
and the mineral tantalum, whose value has appreciated sharply in recent years because of its
applications in wireless electronic devices.

The conflict has had a disproportionate and devastating effect on civilians, who have become
victims of plunder, rape, murder and other atrocities at the hands of groups of armed men who
are not paid salaries by the various factions. Systematic sexual violence is widespread in the
DRC and rape has been used as a tool of war. It is estimated that one in three women in certain
parts of the DRC has been a rape victim, and women and girls are often kidnapped to serve as
sexual slaves. Many rape survivors become social outcasts, and sexual violence is contributing
to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs. The humanitarian crisis precipitated by the violence
has from time to time been exacerbated by major natural disasters. Volcanic eruptions and
floods have temporarily displaced hundreds of thousands in recent years. In addition, the
physical infrastructure is in severe disrepair, rendering much of the country inaccessible.

Rwanda
The legacy of the 1994 genocide, which left over 800,000 people dead and millions displaced,
still haunts Rwanda a decade later. Hutu extremists carefully planned and executed a 100-day
killing spree designed to rid Rwanda of all Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Hate radio was used to
incite the population to join armed Hutu factions in systematically killing their Tutsi and
moderate Hutu neighbors. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi rebel group that used
Uganda as a base for its 1990 invasion of Rwanda, stepped up operations, and civil war raged
alongside the genocide. The international community watched without acting for almost two
months before French troops finally intervened in June. Entering from Zaire, the French set up a
“humanitarian zone” in the southwest corner of Rwanda. A few weeks later, on July 4th , the
rebel RPF captured Kigali, ending the worst of the genocide. However, many of those behind
the genocide escaped to the DRC.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 7

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Within two weeks, a new power-sharing government was established. Although relative calm
was restored, the devastation left by the genocide was far-reaching. Almost one-tenth of
Rwanda’s total population was dead, and another one-third was either internally displaced or had
fled the country into neighboring Tanzania, Zaire (DRC), and Burundi. Rwandan refugees in
eastern DRC have been a recurrent source of tension between the two nations because many of
them participated in the atrocities of 1994 and have fought against invading Rwandan
government forces as well as Congolese groups supported by the Kigali government.

Apart from the challenges of rebuilding and reconciliation, the population faces numerous other
difficulties. An estimated 13 percent of Rwandans are infected with HIV, and most lack the
medical resources for treatment. As a result of the combined effects of the disease and the
violence, Rwanda has more orphans than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda
After the end of British colonial rule in 1961, Uganda went through as series of elections and
coups that saw power change hands many times. The dictatorship of military commander Idi
Amin Dada, who was in power from 1971 to 1979, brought increased economic and social
turmoil in Uganda and was responsible for extensive human rights abuses, including the deaths
of 300,000 political opponents. Although Idi Amin was forced from power in 1979 by
Tanzanian-backed Ugandan exiles, human rights abuses continued under the regime of Milton
Obote, who was elected President in December 1980. During his five years in power an
additional 100,000 lives were lost as a result of continued civil strife and atrocities committed by
Obote’s security forces, which used ruthless tactics in their effort to stamp out an insurgency led
by Yoweri Museveni and his National Resistance Army (NRA). Obote was forced from power
in 1980 by Lt. Gen. Basilio Olara-Okello, but human rights abuses continued as Okello’s
military government sought to undermine support for the NRA.

In January 1986, the National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Yoweri Museveni, expelled
Okello and established Museveni as president, a position that he retains today. Museveni
brought the human rights violations of his predecessors to an end and created a commission to
investigate earlier abuses. However, rebel groups operating in the northern part of country
continue to terrorize the population. The government has been criticized for its inability to bring
this conflict to an end and for its failure to provide adequate protection and assistance for the 1.3
million people who have been displaced as a result of the violence.

The largest of these insurgent groups, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony,
has been operating in northern Uganda for more than 17 years, spreading fear by maiming and
killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. An estimated 90 percent of LRA forces are child
soldiers: children who have been abducted and trained to kill for the insurgents, in some cases
even forced to kill their family and friends. The threat of kidnapping has become so widespread
that thousands of children in some parts of Uganda have become “night commuters,” leaving
their rural homes at night to seek the protection of towns.

Some of the abducted children are girls, many of whom have been forced into sexual slavery by
the LRA. These child “brides” are taken from their homes at a very young age, as young as 8 or
9, and often held for many years, some as long-term “wives” living at LRA base camps in
InterAction Member Activity Report for 8
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
southern Sudan, and some traveling with the rebel forces in Uganda. A small number of girls
have also been forced to fight on the front lines. Both boy and girl children who escape the LRA
fear retribution against their families and villages.

Since the summer of 2002, the situation has worsened considerably. The number of provinces
affected by the conflict has risen from two to eight, and the number of displaced people has more
than doubled from 600,000 to 1.3 million (government estimates put the number of IDPs as high
as 1.8 million). Since June of 2002, more than 10,000 children have been abducted, representing
the largest number since the conflict started in 1988.

Due to the violence and breakdown of infrastructure in the north, many people have been forced
to abandon their homes and relocate to government “protected villages, ” guarded by soldiers of
the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF). Protection for displaced civilians is inadequate,
however, and during LRA raids government forces have often fled, leaving the camps open to
attack. The UPDF has also been accused of abuses, including beating, raping, and robbing the
IDPs they are supposed to protect. Overcrowding and lack of access have contributed to other
problems in IDP communities, including inadequate access to potable water, lack of health care
and education, and the spread of cholera, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 9

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Report Summary

This report offers international agencies, nongo vernmental organizations (NGOs), the media and
the public an overview of the humanitarian and development assistance being provided to the
people of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda by InterAction
member agencies.

Twenty-nine member organizations reported their current or planned relief and development
operations in the Great Lakes. The programs address a broad range of sectors, including:
agriculture, food production, nutrition, and food security; business development; disaster and
emergency relief; education and training; gender issues; health care and medical training;
HIV/AIDS; human rights; peace and conflict resolution; refugee and IDP assistance; rural
development; infrastructure rehabilitation; and water and sanitation.

These activities take place throughout the Great Lakes, including those regions with limited or
no control from the central governments of the relevant countries. This includes the Ituri District
and North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, areas that are largely
outside the control of the Kinshasa government.

The agencies in this report have presented various objectives for their programs in the Great
Lakes. Many deal with addressing the immediate needs of the refugee and internally displaced
populations through the distribution of food and non-food supplies, provision of health care
services, etc. Some agencies focus on particularly vulnerable populations, such as women and
children. Other common themes among program objectives include education, agriculture,
infrastructure rehabilitation and small business development.

Many of the agencies in this report work with the support of, or in coordination with, local and
international partners.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 10

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Organizations by Country

Burundi Rwanda, cont.

Action Against Hunger CARE
Adventist Development and Relief Agency Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
International Church World Service
American Friends Service Committee Concern Worldwide
CARE Heifer International
Church World Service International Rescue Committee
Concern Worldwide U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Interchurch Medical Service U.S. Committee for Refugees
International Rescue Committee USA for UNHCR
Refugees International World Relief
U.S. Committee for Refugees
USA for UNHCR Uganda
World Relief ACDI/VOCA
World Vision Action Against Hunger
Africare
Democratic Republic of the Congo American Friends Service Committee
Adventist Development and Relief Agency Baptist World Aid
International CARE
American Friends Service Committee Christian Children’s Fund
Baptist World Aid Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
CARE Church World Service
Catholic Relief Services Concern Worldwide
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee Heifer International
Church World Service International Medical Corps
Concern Worldwide International Rescue Committee
Food for the Hungary Lutheran World Relief
Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. Refugees International
International Medical Corps Save the Children
International Rescue Committee Trickle Up Program
Refugees International U.S. Fund for UNICEF
United Methodist Committee on Relief USA for UNHCR
U.S. Committee for Refugees
USA for UNHCR
World Relief

Rwanda
ACDI/VOCA
Africare
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Baptist World Aid

InterAction Member Activity Report for 11

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Organizations by Sector Activity

Agriculture, Food Production, Disaster and Emergency Relief

Nutrition, and Food Security Adventist Development and Relief Agency
ACDI/VOCA International
Action Against Hunger Air Serv
Adventist Development and Relief Agency Baptist World Aid
International Catholic Relief Services
Africare Christian Children’s Fund
Baptist World Aid Church World Service
CARE International Medical Corps
Catholic Re lief Services International Rescue Committee
Christian Children’s Fund USA for UNHCR
Christian Reformed World Relief World Relief
Committee
Church World Service Education and Training
Concern Worldwide ACDI/VOCA
Food for the Hungary Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Heifer International International
International Medical Corps Africare
Lutheran World Relief American Jewish Joint Distribution
Save the Children Committee
Trickle Up Program Baptist World Aid
U.S. Fund for UNICEF Catholic Relief Services
United Methodist Committee on Relief Christian Children’s Fund
USA for UNHCR Christian Reformed World Relief
World Relief Committee
World Vision Church World Service
Concern Worldwide
Business Development Heifer International
ACDI/VOCA International Medical Corps
Africare International Rescue Committee
CARE Lutheran World Service
Christian Reformed World Relief Save the Children
Committee Trickle Up Program
Concern Worldwide U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Heifer International United Methodist Committee on Relief
International Rescue Committee USA for UNHCR
Lutheran World Relief World Vision
Trickle Up Program
World Relief

InterAction Member Activity Report for 12

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Gender Issues International Rescue Committee
(Only those organizations with gender- World Vision
specific programs are listed here, however,
most organizations included in this report Refugee and IDP Assistance
take gender into account in all their Africare
activities) CARE
Adventist Development and Relief Agency Church World Service
International International Medical Corps
American Friend’s Service Committee Lutheran World Relief
Church World Service U.S. Committee for Refugees
Heifer International USA for UNHCR
International Medical Corps World Relief
International Rescue Committee World Vision
Trickle Up Program
U.S. Fund for UNICEF Rural Development
USA for UNHCR Africare
Baptist World Aid
Health Care/Medical Training Church World Service
Action Against Hunger Heifer International
Adventist Development and Relief Agency International Rescue Committee
International Trickle Up Program
Baptist World Aid
Catholic Relief Services HIV/AIDS
Christian Reformed World Relief Africare
Committee Baptist World Aid
Church World Service CARE
Concern Worldwide Catholic Relief Services
Food for the Hungary Christian Children’s Fund
Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. Christian Reformed World Relief
International Medical Corps Committee
International Rescue Committee Concern Worldwide
Lutheran World Relief Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.
Save the Children International Medical Corps
United Methodist Committee on Relief International Rescue Committee
USA for UNHCR Lutheran World Relief
World Vision Save the Children
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Human Rights, Peace & Conf. Res. USA for UNHCR
Adventist Development and Relief Agency World Relief
International World Vision
Africare
Baptist World Aid Water and Sanitation
CARE Action Against Hunger
Catholic Relief Services Baptist World Aid
Church World Service CARE
Concern Worldwide
InterAction Member Activity Report for 13
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Water and Sanitation, cont.
Christian Children’s Fund
Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee
International Rescue Committee
USA for UNHCR

InterAction Member Activity Report for 14

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Glossary of Acronyms

Acronym InterAction Member

ACF-USA Action Against Hunger (Action contre la Faim- USA)
ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency
AFSC American Friends Service Committee
CARE Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc.
BWAid Baptist World Aid
CRS Catholic Relief Services
CCF Christian Children’s Fund
CRWRC Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
CWS Church World Service
FHI Food for the Hungr y International
IMA Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.
IMC International Medical Corps
IRC International Rescue Committee
JDC American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
LWR Lutheran World Relief
UMCOR United Methodist Committee on Relief
USCR U.S. Committee for Refugees
U.S. Fund for UNICEF U.S. Fund for the United Nations Children’s Fund
USA for UNHCR United States Association for the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees
WR World Relief
WV World Vision

Other Acronyms
CBO Community-based Organization
CHH Child-headed Households
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
CSO Community Service/Civil Society Organization
DFID UK Department for International Development
DRC, DROC, DR Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
ECHO European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office
EPI Expanded Program on Immunizations
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome
IDP Internally Displaced Person
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
INGO International Non-Governmental Organization
LRA Lord’s Resistance Army
MCH Maternal and Child Health
MOH Ministry of Health

InterAction Member Activity Report for 15

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
NGO Nongovernmental Organization
OFDA U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
ORT Oral Rehydration Therapy
PHC Primary Healthcare
PVO Private Voluntary Organization
SFC Supplementary Feeding Center
SGBV Sexual and Gender-based Violence
SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
STIs/STDs Sexually Transmitted Illnesses/Diseases
TFC Therapeutic Feeding Center
UNDP U.N. Development Programme
UNFPA U.N. Population Fund
UNICEF U.N. Children’s Fund
UNOCHA U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
UPDF Uganda People’s Defence Forces
USAID U.S. Agency for International Development
USCCB U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organization

InterAction Member Activity Report for 16

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 ACDI/VOCA
US Contact Field Contacts
Rwanda Rwanda
Suzanne Berkey ACDI/VOCA-RWANDA
Tel: (202) 879-0241 B.P. 4628
Kigali, Rwanda
Uganda Tel/Fax: 250-571358, 250-516241
Adrian Ng’asi Email: acdivoca@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com
Tel: (202) 879-0240 Chief of Party/Country Representative: Paul
DeLucco
Elizabeth Farmer
Tel: (202) 879-0268 Uganda
ACDI/VOCA-P.L. 480 Uganda
Office Warehouse Complex
Plot 6-8, Kibira Road
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: (256-41) 348-205
Fax: (256-41) 345-288
Chief of Party: Bernie Runnebaum
Email: bfrunnebaum-pl480@acdivoca- ug.org

Introduction to ACDI/VOCA
ACDI/VOCA empowers farmers and other entrepreneurs worldwide to succeed in the
global economy.

ACDI/VOCA in Rwanda
ACDI/VOCA manages a USAID- funded P.L. 480 Title II program to help farmers
increase agricultural production, restore and protect cropland, boost farmer incomes and
increase access to important imported food commodities. The project is funded through
monetization of $1.4 million worth of U.S. food aid (vegetable oil). With the proceeds,
ACDI/VOCA partners with smallholder farmers to form watershed associations, works
with smallholder groups to strengthen their business skills and to increase their
involvement in commercial agricultural markets and supports international and local
initiatives that increase commercial agricultural activities. ACDI/VOCA provides grants to
develop economically viable businesses through which smallholder farmers can realize
increasing returns and contribute to economic development through group action.

ACDI/VOCA in Uganda
ACDI/VOCA’s USAID- funded Rural Economy and Agricultural Production Program
prepares approximately 10,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Gulu district of
Uganda—a region devastated by civil war for the past 16 years—for eventual resettlement.
The program creates jobs through cash- for-work activities and promotes self-sufficiency
by introducing improved farming techniques. The cash-for-work component directly
benefits 500 workers and their families while benefiting the greater community through the
InterAction Member Activity Report for 17
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
rehabilitation of 80 kilometers of roads. Outreach to improve farming techniques is
conducted by contact farmers through the use of demonstration and communal plots.
Training in farming as a business, post-harvest handling and marketing is also provided.

In the Gulu municipality of Uganda, through a partnership with Catholic Relief Services,
ACDI/VOCA provides take-home rations to elementary school students, strengthens
parent-teacher associations, provides technical support to educators and administrators and
establishes school gardens. Through these Food for Education food aid activities,
ACDI/VOCA bolsters the ability of rural families to send their children — especially girls
— to school. Approximately 20,000 eligible children at 20 schools receive the nutritionally
complete ration. ACDI/VOCA expects that this program will result in a 10 percent overall
increase in school attendance rates at the targeted schools.

ACDI/VOCA’s Specialty Coffee Production in Eastern Africa Project (SCOPE) focuses on

strengthening the Eastern Africa Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA), established in May
2000. Headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, EAFCA has country chapters in Burundi,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and currently has over 80
member groups representing all aspects of the coffee industry. ACDI/VOCA focused on
building the capacity of the EAFCA secretariat and assuring regional policy dialogue and
coordination, along with supporting smallholder producer organizations and establishing a
market platform and a regional specialty coffee exchange. ACDI/VOCA also helped
representatives from EAFCA to attend Specialty Coffee Association of America events,
which enabled them to make contacts with buyers as well as leading suppliers of resources
for the specialty coffee industry.

ACDI/VOCA’s Worldwide Farmer to Farmer Program in the Greater Horn of Africa is

part of a larger global effort to provide targeted technical assistance and training to
beneficiary organizations in a wide range of skills. Volunteer consultants impart
knowledge and technologies in a cost-effective manner, and ACDI/VOCA has managed
Farmer-to-Farmer activities continuously over the last 16 years, recruiting thousands of
volunteers to provide direct assistance to farmers, agribusinesses, associations, and credit
institutions around the world. Almost 200 American volunteer consultants have served 67
clients in the Greater Horn region since 1973, building the capacity of agribusiness
associations, enhancing food and income security and reaching alternative domestic and
international markets.

ACDI/VOCA manages a $26 million USAID- funded P.L. 480 Title II program that
monetizes U.S. food aid (wheat and vegetable oil) on behalf of a consortium of PVOs
operating in Uganda. The sales stimulate the local commodity markets and generate funds
for a variety of development activities. With its portion, ACDI/VOCA provides grants to
local NGOs for agricultural training, infrastructure development, capacity building of local
financial institutions, associations and cooperatives, and direct distribution of goods to
NGOs and rural business associations. Our partners implement food production activities,
farm-to- market road rehabilitation, rural financial services through loan guarantees and
distribution of rations to people living with HIV/AIDS.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 18

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Action Against Hunger

US Contact Field Contact

Roger Persichino Burundi
Desk Officer Laurent Saillard
Action Against Hunger - USA Head of Mission
Suite 1201, 247 W37th St Action Contre la Faim
NY, NY 10018 BP 6532
Tel: 212-967-7800, ext. 113 Chaussée du peuple Murundi
Fax: 212-967-54 80 Bâtiment UCAR II
Email: rp@aah- usa.org Bujumbura
Tel: 00 257 22 60 22
Fax: 00 257 21 68 79
Email : acfbu@usan-bu.net

Uganda
Regis Billaudel
Head of Mission
Action Against Hunger – USA
Kyadondo Road, Muyenga
P.O. Box 3177
Kampala – Uganda
Tel: (256) 041-510 415
Mobile: (256) 77- 713 723
Email: acfug@africaonline.co.uk

Introduction to Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger’s mandate is to save lives by combating hunger, disease, and those
crises threatening the lives of helpless men, women and children.

Action Against Hunger intervenes in the following situations:

• In natural or man-made crises which threaten food security or result in famine;
• In situations of social / economic breakdown, linked to internal or external
circumstances which place particular groups of people in an extremely vulnerable
position;
• In situations where survival depends on humanitarian aid.

Action Against Hunger intervenes either during the crisis itself, through emergency
intervention, or afterwards, through rehabilitation and sustainable development
programmes. Action Against Hunger also intervenes in the prevention of certain high-risk
situations.

The ultimate aim of all of Action Against Hunger’s programs is to enable the beneficiaries
to regain their autonomy and self- sufficiency as soon as possible.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 19

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Action Against Hunger in Burundi
General Objectives:
ACF has been present in Burundi continuously since April 1994 and has developed
programs in the following sectors: nutrition, health structures rehabilitation, water and
sanitation, food security.

Overall Goal:
To prevent mortality and morbidity linked with malnutrition

Specific Objectives:
• To treat the severely malnourished persons
• To integrate the existing feeding centres into the national health structures
• To reinforce food security in vulnerable households

Program Sectors:
Nutrition and Food Security

Nutrition and Food Security (as of October 2003):

ACF operates 5 Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs) and 55 Supplementary Feeding
Centers (SFCs) in 5 districts (indicated below)

The Food Security programs consist on the followings:

• Developing cattle breeding (such as goats) and culture
• Support to agricultural groups
• Nutrition and health education
• Improving access to land
• Improving agricultural methods

At present, ACF is carrying out an anthropometric nutritional survey in order to measure

the nutritional status of the more worrying districts

Specific locations of projects or programs:

The projects are located in the following districts:
• Ruyigi
• Muramvya – Mwaro
• Bubanza
• Kayanza
• N’Gozi
• Bujumbura

Funding sources:
Programs are funded by ECHO, the Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF, FAO and the PNUD.

Scale of programs:
Nutrition Program: over 1591 beneficiaries in TFCs
over 5368 beneficiaries in SFCs
InterAction Member Activity Report for 20
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Food Security Programs: over 1286 beneficiaries

Cooperative efforts:
For all the programs, ACF works in close collaboration and cooperation with the following
actors: local and national authorities, INGOs (Médecins sans Frontières, Solidarités), UN
agencies (WFP, FAO, UNICEF).

ACF belongs to the UN and NGO coordination body at national level (Bujumbura).

Special concerns:
• Strong security constraints (chaotic peace process)
• Difficulties in terms of humanitarian access
• There are still a lot of IDPs
• Insecurity linked to growing acts of looting, rapes etc.
• Weak local capacities (especially in the context of the integration of the nutrition)

Action Against Hunger in Uganda

ACF USA has been present in Uganda continuously since 1994, serving the Sudanese
refugee population in Moyo and Adjumani districts until end 2001, as well as the needs of
IDPs in Bundibugyo District until 2002. ACF USA currently focuses on the crisis in
northern Uganda, where it has been active since 1996.

Overall Goal:
To address the emergency needs of the displaced population in Acholiland.

Specific Objectives:
• To prevent and treat severe acute malnutrition in Gulu District
• To improve the sanitation and water coverage of the most vulnerable and under served
IDPs in Gulu District

ACF-USA is currently enhancing its response capacity to sudden onset crises caused by
short- to medium-term displacements in other conflict affected areas of Uganda (Soroti,
Lira, Katakwi districts).

Nutrition and Food Security:

• ACF-USA operates in Gulu District, operating 3 Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs)
and 6 Supplementary Feeding Centers.
• Plans are being made to develop 3 more TFCs, on a home treatment basis and an
additional 6 SFCs by end 2003.
• ACF-USA carries out nutritional surveillance activities in Acholiland (nutritional
surveys, nutrition screenings, rapid assessments, etc.).
• ACF-USA has just carried out an evaluation of the food security situation among IDPs
In Gulu District.

Some reports are available on our website, at http://www.aahusa.org/thought/surveys.html

InterAction Member Activity Report for 21
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Water and Sanitation:
• ACF USA provides safe water to IDPs through the development and/or rehabilitatio n
of adequate infrastructure (spring protection, shallow wells and boreholes, etc.).
• The sanitation program targets institutions (schools and health centers) with VIP
latrines to enhance coverage. In addition, tool kits (pangas, shovels, buckets) are given
to IDPs for the construction of traditional latrines.

Health Education and Community Mobilization:

All programs above are completed by extensive health education activities, aiming at
promoting:
• Safe water usage
• Waste disposal and handling
• Sound breast feeding and weaning practices

In addition, and whenever possible, ACF USA aims at developing Water Source and
Sanitation Committees (WSSC) around water points so as to enhance community
ownership of infrastructures and materials. ACF USA places a great emphasis on gender
issues in the design and implementation of its program, nowhere more so than through the
WSSC.

Specific locations of projects or programs:

All projects are in northern Uganda.

Funding sources:
Programs are funded by ECHO and OFDA, each sharing about 50% of an overall budget
of about $ 850,000 in 2003.

Scale of programs:
Water and Sanitation Program: over 110,000 beneficiaries
Nutrition Program: over 1,000 beneficiaries in TFCs
over 2,000 beneficiaries in SFCs

Cooperative efforts:
ACF – USA works in the SFCs with the support of the World Food Program. Nutrition
programs are coordinated through OCHA with other agencies such as GOAL and IMC.

Special concerns:
Security in Uganda is of a paramount concern. In 2003 alone, 10 aid workers have been
killed while carrying out their duties. Relations with local authorities are generally good,
although the general state of underdevelopment in northern Uganda is such that Local
Government structures tend to have other priorities than the delivery of relief, and very
little means to do so.

Overall, the Government of Uganda’s insistence to settle the 17 years old conflict through
military means only is increasingly seen as unlikely to lead to a full settlement of the
InterAction Member Activity Report for 22
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
situation in the near future. The humanitarian crisis, affecting over 1,200,000 IDPs (the
third largest IDP caseload in Africa) is thus likely to linger on.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 23

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Adventist Development and Relief Agency International

US Contact Field Contact

Burundi Burundi
Tereza Byrne Ghislain Kikudji
Bureau Chief for Marketing & Development Country Director
ADRA International ADRA Burundi
Bureau for Marketing & Development Phone: (257) 21 2146
12501 Old Columbia Pike Fax: (257) 21 4622
Silver Spring, MD 20904 Email: adrabdi@cbinf.com
Phone: (301) 680-6380
Fax: (301) 680-6370 Congo South (DRC)
Email: adrabdi@cbinf.com Andrew Njoke, Director
ADRA Congo South
Congo South (DRC) 765 Avenue de la Révolution
Tereza Byrne P.O. Box 2099 Lubumbashi
ADRA International Democratic Rep. of Congo
12501 Old Columbia Pike, Tel: (243) 81 515 8839
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA Fax: (243) 23 48 428
Tel: (301) 680 6380 Email: njokeadra@hotmail.com
Fax: (301) 680 6370
Email: terezabyrne@compuserve.com

Web: www.adra.org

Introduction to Adventist Development and Relief Agency International

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International is an independent
humanitarian agency established in 1984 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the
specific purposes of individual and community development and disaster relief with
headquarters in the United States of America.

Through a variety of projects, ADRA supports the dignity that is inherent in each person.
Committed to improving the quality of human life, ADRA helps people in need, especially
the most vulnerable such as women and children, without regard to their gender, ethnicity,
or political or religious association.

In response to the uncertainty, fear and despair that characterize the daily realities of many
in the world, ADRA believes in spreading a ray of hope that can change and enrich the
quality of many lives. Hence, ADRA commits its resources to five core portfolios to
alleviate the cycle of poverty, poor health and lack of education. These include Primary
Health, Food Security, Economic Development, Basic Education, and Disaster
Preparedness and Response.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 24

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
ADRA in Burundi
Since the death of the first democratically elected President, Melchior Ndadaye, on
October 21, 1993, Burundi has been in a state of civil war that has resulted in the death of
over 300,000 (approx 5% of the population) and the destruction of the physical and social
infrastructure.

800,000 of the population fled to the bordering countries of Tanzania and the DR Congo.
Inside the country 385,000 still rely on food aid and 24,000 are treated for malnutrition
every month. Large numbers (388,000) are still living in Internal Displacement Camps as
the situation is unsafe for them to return to their own lands. Of these, 71% (275,500) do
not have access to the minimum daily requirement of safe drink ing water.

The people of Burundi are attempting to recover from this environment where frequent and
continued armed conflict has resulted in the destruction of properties and the death, injury,
or displacement of tens of thousands of people. Added to this situation is the ever-present,
ever-growing problem of HIV/AIDS.

To secure the peace that is being restored, the Government of Burundi is continuing
attempts to negotiate a ceasefire with opposition groups. Recent negotiations have
achieved many things, but the major problem remains a definitive, enduring ceasefire.
This needs to be achieved before elections in October 2005.

It is the objective of ADRA to work within the community to restore hope and a future for
all Burundians.

Programme Sectors:
Current Programmes are operated in the following sectors:
• Agriculture & Food Production
• Disaster & Emergency Relief
• Education & Training (including Teacher Training)
• Gender Issues/Women in Development
• Health Care
• Human Rights/Peace/Conflict Resolution

Project Outlines and Locations:

ADRA is operational in seven of the seventeen Provinces of Burundi. The nature and
location of each intervention is as below:

HIV/AIDS 2002-2007:
Province: Bujumbura
$ Value: 160,000$US per annum
Population: 360,000+
Intervention: 7 Clinics. 1 full time Doctor and medical staff.
Services: Diagnosis, medical & psychological supervision of patients, daily
hospitalization, counseling, residential support, and Sensitisation &
Awareness Campaigns.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 25
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Peace & Reconciliation 2002-2003:
Province: Karusi
$ Value: 25,000$US
Population: 9,000+
Intervention: Sensitization campaign, followed by formation and training of community
groups (committees) to help individuals reconcile their differences and
resolve disputes peaceably. Human Rights, and Gender Equality were major
principles of the programme. These issues were not only addressed in
theory, but individuals were engaged in the practical application and
outworking of the theories in order to develop their skills. It was a highly
successful intervention for refugees, IDP’s, and members of the existing
community.

Rehabilitation of Homes 2001-2003:

Provinces: Karusi, 2,000; Muyinga 1,500; Rutana 800
$ Value: 330$US per home
Population: 21,500+
Intervention: To assist the most vulnerable me mbers of the community (refugees, IDPs,
and vulnerable members of the community) reconstruct their homes that
were destroyed during the conflict.
Services: Sensitization of the community to form committees to determine who the
beneficiaries should be, and encourage cooperation during the construction
of one another’s homes. This can form part of Peace and Reconciliation
activities. Tangible supplies will be technical assistance and advice during
construction, and the supply of doors, windows, roofing sheets, and nails.

Rehabilitation of Schools 2000-2003:

Provinces: Karusi & Muyinga
$ Value: 91,000$US per school
Population: 360+ pupils per school (direct) + other indirect beneficiaries.
Intervention: Reconstruction of 7 Primary Schools and 6 homes for teachers, destroyed
during the conflict.
Services: Project included the formation and training of Parent Teachers Associations
in the disciplines of Financial Management, School Building Maintenance,
Conflict Resolution, etc.

Agriculture & Food 2002-2003:

Province: Karusi & Muyinga
$ Value: 25$US per home
Population: 3,500+
Intervention: The provision of 15 kg seeds, fertiliser, and agricultural implements (hoes,
etc.) to beneficiaries who had homes built as part of the Rehabilitation
programmes in Karusi and Muyinga. This programme was to help
individuals become self sufficient by giving them the means to cultivate
their own crops, once they had returned to their own lands.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 26
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Education & Training 2002-2003:
Provinces: Karusi & Rutana
$ Value: Karusi 34,000; Rutana 140,000$US
Population: 4,300+
Intervention: Karusi – formal Teacher Training for 32 practicing, partly qualified
teachers. 30 of the group were awarded the full National Qualification.
Rutana – Functional Adult Literacy programme to enable 4,300 women to
be able to read and write in their native tongue, Kirundi, and become
competent in basic mathematics.
Services: The “functional” aspect of the programme was to develop knowledge,
skills, and competence in areas of health and hygiene.

Disaster & Emergency Relief:

Provinces: Rutana, Ruyigi, Gitega, Makamba
$ Value: 150,000$US
Population: 350 – 400 tonnes per month
Intervention: Receipt, safeguarding, management, and dispatching of emergency food
provisions in conjunction with World Food Programme.

Funding Sources
ADRA Programs are funded by partners such as DANIDA, Solidarite Protestante in
cooperation with the Belgian Government, by UNHCR, CIDA, UNDP, WFP, SIDA, and
the Japanese Government.

Cooperation & Coordination

ADRA Burundi attends the Contact Group meetings, a joint effort coordinated by the
United Nations to synchronize the work of development agencies in Burundi. In addition,
ADRA is a member of an International NGO Association in Burundi called RESO, which
meets every other week. The agency works in collaboration with the other NGO’s in the
same area to avoid overlapping or duplication of services. In the field, we work in close
collaboration with the Governors of Provinces, the Administrators of Communes, and with
the population of the area of operations.

ADRA In Democratic Republic Of Congo

The goal of ADRA in the D.R. of Congo is to assist the most vulnerable groups affected by
years of political and social instability, war and prolonged internal displacements.
Programs are managed from ADRA Congo South Office based in Lubumbashi, provincial
headquarters of the Katanga Province.

Education Program
ADRA has developed and is presently leading in the educational sector in the Katanga
Province through its school support program. Since the early 1990s, ADRA Congo South
is running a large school sponsorship program for children whose parents cannot afford to
secure basic education for their children. Through this program, ADRA invests about
$400,000 every year in school support to about 4000 children per year. Over 20 schools in
InterAction Member Activity Report for 27
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
the Katanga Province receive pupils and students enrolled in the school sponsorship
program. Children are provided with school supplies, food, and health and school fees. In
all, about 25,000 children have received assistance through this program.

ADRA’s basic education program in the Katanga Province also provides vocational
training in fields such as agriculture, sewing and home economics to children who cannot
cope with formal education. ADRA has created school farms and technical workshops in
schools to pursue this line of training to youngsters.

Primary Health Care Program

The ADRA School Support project is well integrated into the overall community support
program run by the agency. In its Primary Health Care portfolio, ADRA has established
health centers in schools receiving sponsored children. Health care is paid for by the
project since parents and children cannot afford the cost.

ADRA’s Primary Health Care program secures primary health care services to children,
mothers and communities through a participatory agenda combining local community
interests with the agency’s development goals. This program also assists in reinforcing
local capacity of existing health structures, particularly owned by private partners. Hence
in Songa, Kilobelobe, Kitenge, Kipushi, Mwilambwe, Bulaya, Kolwezi, Benze, Katwatwa,
Milumbu, and Lubumbashi, ADRA has assisted in setting up functional primary health
care facilities to cater for the needs of the population.

Orphanage in Bulaya
ADRA has also established an orphanage in a village called Bulaya, about 31km from
Lubumbashi. This resettlement home plays host to about a hundred children who have lost
their parents as a result of war, illness and HIV/AIDS. ADRA provides food, lodging
and school support to these children.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 28

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Africare

US Contact Field Contact

Alan Alemian, Regional Director Burundi
East and Anglophone West Region Anthony Ngosi
Africare House Country Representative for Burundi and
440 R Street N.W. Rwanda
Washington, D.C. 20001 Africare/Burundi
Tel: 202-462-3614 Africare, B.P. 191
Email: aalemian@africare.org Bujumbura, Burundi
Tel: 11-257-40-3119
Email: admafricare@usan-bu.net

Rwanda
Anthony Ngosi
Country Representative for Burundi and
Rwanda
Africare/Rwanda
Africare, B.P. 137
Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: 011-250-577484
Email: africarerw@yahoo.com

Uganda
Abdalla B. Meftuh
Country Representative for Uganda
Africare/Uganda
P.O. Box 7655
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 011-256-41-230266
Email: abmeftuh@africareonline.co.ug

Introduction to Africare
Africare works to improve the quality of life in Africa, assisting families, villages and
nations in two principal areas—food and agricultural, and health and HIV/AIDS—as well
as water resource development, environmental management, basic education, micro-
enterprise development, governance and emergency humanitarian aid. In the United
States, Africare builds understanding of African development through public education and
outreach. Africare has its head office in Washington, D.C., with field offices in 26 African
countries.
A private, nonprofit organization, Africare was founded in 1970. Since that time,
communities in 35 nations Africa-wide have benefited from direct Africare assistance.
During the fiscal year 2002, Africare supported more than 150 programs in 26 African
countries.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 29

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Africare is a charitable institution under Section 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) of the Internal Revenue
Code. Africare’s financial support comes from charitable foundations, multinational
corporations and small businesses, the religious community, other private organizations,
the U.S. government, foreign governments, international agencies and thousands of
individuals. Africare is a member of Global Impact (formerly, International Service
Agencies): part of the Combined Federal Campaign and many corporate as well as state
and local government workplace drives.

Africare in Burundi
Africare’s three main objectives in Burundi are to:
• Strengthen capacities of local entities to effective ly promote the crosscutting themes of
good governance/civil society participation, peaceful conflict resolution, gender and
human rights.
• Support community-based development through participatory development techniques,
food security/natural resources ma nagement and rehabilitation/construction of basic
social infrastructures.
• Support to reinsertion of displaced populations (internally displaced persons and
returning refugees).

Strengthening Civil Society Organizations Project “SCSOP” (August 2000 - December

2003) [Sectors: Credit, Training, Rural Development] The goal of SCSOP is to enhance
the capacity of grassroots communities to plan and manage their development in a peaceful
manner, and to strengthen all levels of civil society. The project’s baseline survey and
feedback sessions identified all community-based organizations (CBOs) in Karusi and
Gitega provinces and their priority needs. Following this, Africare extended civil society
support activities to rural-based community service organizations (CSOs), and organized
training in participatory organizational management and micro-project design/
implementation. This capacity-building exercise was reinforced by action learning
opportunities through self- help sub-grants. Overall, 116 sub- grants were provided to
community-based organizations, 76 for food security activities such as fish breeding,
poultry breeding, and seed multiplication. Thirty sub-grants were provided to intermediate
support organizations for human rights, gender issues and peace-building training activities
for CBOs. Four sub- grants were provided to local NGOs for adult literacy programs in the
two target provinces. Thirty-two social infrastructures including schools, health centers,
and water supply facilities identified by the community were constructed, rehabilitated or
equipped. Civil society steering committees were democratically created at the province
and country levels. Members of these steering committees were trained as trainers, who
will take over Africare’s role in providing training to grassroots associations at the end of
the project. SCSOP has trained leaders of 540 community-based organizations (CBOs)
and 80 intermediate support organizations (ISOs); provided self- help sub-grants for 2,500
participants and rehabilitated/constructed and equipped 32 community infrastructures.

Community Justice Project (2002-2003) [Sector: Education/Training, Human

Rights/Peace Conflict Resolution] This project revived the traditional, informal conflict
management/justice system of democratically chosen elders, the Bashingantahe council. In
partnership with the Ministry of Justice, Africare identified all previously community-
InterAction Member Activity Report for 30
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
elected council members, reinstated their original positions, and trained them in human
rights and in a number of modern legal domains, including family succession and land
laws. The CJP translated the land code into Kirundi, the local language, to facilitate the
settlement of land disputes (frequent due to displacement of populations) in a manner
similar to modern courts. Under this project, Africare assisted in the creation of
Bashingantahe committees/councils at village, sub-county and county levels. Support to
this institution continues in partnership with CRID (a local NGO) with resources provided
by the European Union through the UNDP. The Community Justice Project covered the
provinces of Gitega and Karusi (18 communes) and works with 750 traditional elders /
notables to develop plans of action to revive their institution in accordance with human
rights and modern laws.

Community Development Project (2002-2004) [Sector: Rural Development] Two

subsequent, one- year grants from IFAD allowed Africare to carry out a community
development program in Karusi Province, with emphasis on the agricultural sector. Under
this activity, a thorough participatory analysis of community needs, resources, constraints
and opportunities at all levels from each sub- village up to the province level was
conducted. At each level, a Community Development Plan of Action was developed on a
participatory basis, and a Community Development Committee (CDC) was democratically
established to serve as the steering structure for the implementation and regular update of
action plans, and as the populations’ interface with the various developme nt partners. The
third phase (grant) is being prepared for Africare to continue the activity. The Community
Development Project covers the Province of Karusi (7 communes).

KAFSI Food Security Project (2003-2004) [Sector: Ag/Food Production] Based on the
priorities established in the Community Development Plans of Action under the IFAD
Project, Africare launched a community-based food security project in Karusi Province.
This project is sub-village and village-centered. The goal of the KAFSI project is to
improve the living conditions of the target populations by increasing food security (the
ability of all people at all times to have sufficient food meeting their dietary preferences to
live a healthy and productive life). KAFSI has four main objectives: 1) increase the
volume, quality and variety of food production, and improve food-storing practices for
household consumption; 2) protect the soil against erosion and establish/create local means
to maintain and increase soil fertility; 3) upgrade/construc t access roads for year-round
marketing of agricultural produce and trade in general; 4) improve nutrition of children
under three, utilizing the available foodstuffs. Under KAFSI, Africare provides
agricultural and livestock inputs, implements community’s capacity building activities in
food security, and supports forestry/agro- forestry and other erosion control activities such
as hedgerows. Africare also promotes composting, provides seed storage and veterinary
drug facilities, trains the households in nutrition, and upgrades access roads for the
marketing of agricultural products. The KAFSI Food Security Initiative project covers two
counties within the province of Karusi. At the end of its pilot approach, it will cover all the
households of the two counties.

Initiative for the Return of Displaced Populations in Burundi (2003-2004) [Sector:

Human Rights/Peace/Conflict Resolution, Migration Services, Education/Training]: This
InterAction Member Activity Report for 31
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
project is being launched in the two Gitega and Karusi provinces. With the implementation
of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, a mass repatriation of Burundian
refugees is expected. The overall goal of this reinsertion project is to create an enabling
context for the return and reinsertion of the displaced populations by promoting mutual
trust, social cohesion and cooperation between the host and the returning populations. The
two specific objectives are to develop the capacities within the target communities to
promote peaceful conflict resolution, and to support material needs of the community,
which are mutually identified and monitored by the host and returning populations. This
project will be implemented in partnership with the Burundian local NGOs that were
already supported under Africare’s current and past projects. The Initiative for the Return
of Displaced Populations in Burundi project will also provide health care insurance cards
and school supplies to 4860 vulnerable households, sub-grants to 15 ISOs, and
professional training to 160 youths.

Strengthening the NGO Sector Project (2003-2008) [Sector: Democracy/Governance,

Education/Training]: This project is to be launched by the end of this year and will cover
the provinces of Gitega and Karusi. The goal of this 5-year project is to enhance the NGO
sector’s role and capacity in Burundi to deliver development services and improve the
strategic, managerial, financial, and advocacy skills of individual NGOs, networks, and
ISOs (Intermediate Support Organizations). It will develop the institutional, financial and
operational capacities of 45 ISOs providing services to the communities in HIV/AIDS (20
ISOs) and promotion of community development (25 CSOs). The project aims to build a
sustainable NGO sector in Burundi and help establish a critical mass of competent,
sustainable NGOs in key sectors such as community development and HIV/AIDS. These
NGOs will be a standard of competence and success that others will then emulate. They
will also be basis for establishing networks that provide supporting services and help new
NGOs establish competence and sustainability.

Africare in Rwanda
Africare’s activities in Rwanda began in 1984 with an integrated rural development
program. Since that time, Africare has provided a range of relief and development
assistance to Rwanda. In 1994, Africare provided emergency health care and food
assistance to war victims. Widespread killing, rape, the flight of survivors into displaced
people’s camps, and the extensive damage to the health infrastructure left more than
300,000 Rwandan children in child- headed households, and a national high HIV
prevalence rate of 13.5%. Also in the post-war period, the organization assisted with
refugee resettlement, and in 2001, Africare completed a USAID-funded local government
support project that provided capacity building in democracy and good governance to local
government institutions in 30 administrative districts.

With funds raised from the private sector, in October 2001 Africare began partnerships
with local government and community members in two separate locales (Gikongoro
Province and the greater Kigali area) to undertake two community-based HIV/AIDS
projects -- the Gikongoro AIDS Project (GAP) and in the Kanombe Vocational School
Integrated Development Activity (KVSIDA).

InterAction Member Activity Report for 32

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Gikongoro Province was chosen for Africare response because of its unattended levels of
poverty and HIV/AIDS prevalence, and because of Africare’s success there under prior
relief and development initiatives. GAP has provided a continuum of AIDS-related
services to Gikongoro Province residents, the overall goal of which is to reduce rates of
HIV transmission among young people between the ages of 16 and 24 and provide care to
those already infected by HIV. Africare and its local government and community partners
organized GAP activities around five main areas of intervention: behavior change
communication, voluntary counseling and testing, HIV/AIDS sensitization, community
service by locally recruited and trained Africare HIV/AIDS Volunteers, and the work of
staff at the Gikongoro Youth Center. The following became the related objectives: improve
knowledge, perceptions and behaviors related to reproductive health (emphasizing
HIV/STIs) and people living with AIDS, increase the availability of decentralized, quality
primary health care (PHC) and services addressing HIV/AIDS/STIs, and reduce the spread
of STIs including HIV.

KVSIDA is an AIDS prevention and income- generation project for child- headed
households in Kigali-Ngali Province. Africare is using its resources and experience to help
improve collaboration between NGOs toward the development of best practices for AIDS
activities in Rwanda. In January 2002, Africare hosted a workshop that brought together
local associations and international partners involved in home-based health care activities
to share experiences and materials. Africare has also entered into a unique arrangement
with the World Food Program, which provides over 300 tons of food- for work and food-
for-training stocks to support peer education, home-based care and to enable families
affected by HIV to hire day laborers to minimize reduction in agricultural production.

Africare in Uganda
Sustainable Natural Resources Management (SUNAREM) (2002-2004) [Sector: Rural
Development] The purpose of the SUNAREM project is to strengthen the capacity of
local communities to plan and implement productive natural resources management
initiatives in selected watersheds. The project focuses on improving the management of
natural resources for expanded economic opportunities and is located in southwest Uganda
which includes five regions: Kabale, Ntungamo, Kisoro, Rukungiri, and Kanungu. The
total number of beneficiaries is 117,600 people from 225 villages.

Community IMCI Phase II (2003-2008) [Sector: Health Care] The purpose of the
Community IMCI project is to reduce morbidity of children under five and improve the
health status of women of reproductive age in the Ntungamo District of Uganda. The
project incorporates new, evolving priorities of immunization and HIV/AIDS and
addresses accessibility and facility linkages. Over the next five years, 39,180 children
under five years old and 42,911women of reproductive age will benefit from this project.

UFSI II (2002-2006) [Sector: Agriculture and Food Security] UFSI is located in five
southwest regions of Uganda: Kabale, Ntungamo, Kisoro, Rukungiri, and Kanungu.
Throughout the next four years, this project will increase food security through
interventions in agricultural production, natural resources management, household
nutrition, and farm-to- market road improvements. The project will also enhance nutrition
InterAction Member Activity Report for 33
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
activities and expand the total package of food security interventions to additional food
insecure areas. The beneficiaries of this project are 148,764 people from 21,252
households.

Water for Child Health (October 1999- September 2003) [Sector: Health Care] The
objective of this project located in Ntungamo, Uganda is to prevent diseases among
children caused by unsanitary water usage. The project focuses on protecting springs and
wells, training community members in proper handling of water, and in the early home
recognition and treatment of dehydration associated with diarrhea among children. The
project also teaches community members proper storage and use of water for human
consumption. In order to improve community health, project workers established
demonstration gardens on how to grow and use vegetables and fruits therefore improving
local diets. Approximately 100,000 people will benefit from this project.

HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention (October 1999- September 2003) [Sectors: Health
Care and Education] The main objective of this project in Ntungamo is to educate health
workers and the general population about the causes of HIV/AIDS, the methods of
prevention and the appropriate care of those infected with HIV/AIDS. Project workers
provide material, technical support and training to community groups, traditional healers,
birth attendants and formal health sector care providers. Overall, the project establishes
links between the community and the government health services in order to improve
awareness about causes of HIV/AIDS and methods of prevention as well as its treatment.
The total number of beneficiaries is approximately 100,000 people.

Title II - HIV/AIDS Life Initiative Project (2001-2006) [Sector: Health Care] This
project in Ntungamo assists HIV/AIDS affected households with food aid and non-food
aid services such as counseling. Services such as counseling are primarily for the orpha ns
whose parents or family members died from AIDS. The beneficiaries are people living
with HIV/AIDS, orphans and dependents totaling 1,500 people.

Africare World Space HIV/AIDS Initiative (July 2001- September 2003) [Sector: Health
Care] These are the project objectives: to increase access to information of HIV/AIDS
prevention and care, to increase adoption of safe sex practices by individuals, households
and communities, and to increase utilization of voluntary counseling and testing services.
The total number of beneficiaries in Ntungamo is 100,00 people, which includes people
living with HIV/AIDS, men, women, youth and orphans.

Africare HIV/AIDS Volunteer Service Corps Project (July 2002- June 2004) [Sectors:
Health Care, Education] This project has two main goals: to increase the demand for,
access to and use of male and female condoms and to reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS
transmission. This project focuses on community mobilization, information dissemination
and education for behavior change. Project workers promote safer sexual behaviors and
use of testing services available in the districts. The project benefits 20,354 people directly
and 51,443 people indirectly.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 34

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Africare Well Project in Ntungamo (August 2003-October 2003) [Sectors: Health Care,
Rural Development] The objective of this project is to prevent diseases among community
members caused by unsanitary water usage. The project focuses on protecting springs and
wells, training community members in proper handling of water, and in the early home
recognition and treatment of dehydration associated with diarrhea among children. The
project also teaches community members proper storage and use of water for human
consumption. In order to improve community health, project workers established
demonstration gardens on how to grow and use vegetables and fruits therefore improving
local diets. The total number of beneficiaries is 5,660 people.

Uganda Malaria Partnership Program - Kanungu District (2003-2006) [Health Care]

The main goal of this project is to reduce malaria related mortality and morbidity through
improved home based management of malaria fevers in children and pregnant women.
Program workers assist networks within the district that can be used to implement the
home based management strategy. Workers also promote timely treatment of fevers
among children at health facilities and drug shops until the district establishes community
Homapak distributors. The beneficiaries of this project are 54,464 children under five
years old and 60,000 women of reproductive age.

Uganda IMCI/RBM NGO Secretariat (2003-2004) [Sector: Health Care] The two
objectives of the project are to improve documentation and dissemination of best practices
for scaling up IMCI/RBM initiatives and to improve coordination between MOH, districts
and NGOs through improved communication among stakeholders. The project works to
support RBM and IMCI to mobilize additional resources to support Secretariat activities.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 35

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Air Serv International

US Contact Field Contact

Dolores Weis DRC – Goma
VP Administration Clarisse Goussaud
Air Serv International Country Director - Goma
6583 Merchant Place Air Serv International
Warrenton, VA 20186 139/4 Avenue Pelicans
Tel: 540-428-2323 Quatier des Volcanes
Fax: 540-428-2326 Goma, DRC
Email: airserv@airserv.org Tel: 250-083-05-030
Web: www.airserv.org Email: drc@airserv.org

DRC – Kinshasa
Serge Lelotte
Country Director – Kinshasa
Air Serv International
c/o UNHCR Regional Office/Central Africa
P.O. Box 7248
6729 Avenue de L’Oua
Commune de Ngaliema
Kinshasa 1, DRC
Tel: 243-81-512-9954
Email: slelotte@airserv.org

Uganda
Robert Dira, Country Director
Air Serv Limited
Hangar One, Old Airport
Entebbe, Uganda
Tel: 41-321-251/2
Email: rdira@airserv.org

Introduction to Air Serv International

The Air Serv team uses aircraft and other appropriate technology for relief and
development, restoring hope to the suffering.

Air Serv International in the Great Lakes

Regional Objectives (Congo)
• Continuing excellent aircraft management
• Focus on truly inaccessible areas: Targeting areas of emergency humanitarian need,
opening new temporary bases to meet that need, maintaining close relations with
humanitarian actors, supporting humanitarian access negotiations, building up security
networks

InterAction Member Activity Report for 36

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
• Rehabilitating airstrips and airstrip infrastructure: Targeting strategic strips,
mobilizing communities to maintain existing strips

Program Sectors
• Disaster & Emergency Relief
• Aviation Transportation of Personnel & Cargo
• VSAT Communications

Program Descriptions and Locations (DRC and Uganda)

Kinshasa, DRC: Air Serv International provides aircraft transportation and logistical
support for UNHCR and related NGO programs in the Western Congo.

Goma, DRC: Air Serv provides assistance to NGOs in Eastern Congo via a weekly
passenger and freight service to open up areas of South Kivu that up until mid-2003 were
totally inaccessible to humanitarians. In conjunction with OCHA Bukavu humanitarian
access to Mwenga, Kitutu, Kamituga, Kilembwe, Lulingu, Kama and Baraka is provided.

The Ituri program provides humanitarian access to zones in Ituri – a very unstable area
with ethnic violence and also active bandit groups. Air Serv also offers a shuttle to South
Katanga.

Air Serv’s operations in the DR Congo support specific urgent health care actions such as
mass immunization programs. Air Serv also supports refugee/migration/returnee actions
and agricultural and education services.

Entebbe, Uganda: Air Serv International maintains a hangar and overall base of operations
for service to other Air Serv programs in the region and other areas of Africa.

Funding Sources: Funding from USAID & UNHCR

Scale of Program
Air Serv International provides air transport and cargo services to all NGOs in the Eastern
Congo and to most NGOs in the Western Congo.

Special Concerns
Safety in the region is the largest concern. Operational security remains a primary concern
for aircraft operations. Air Serv works to ensure that all its aircraft are recognized as
humanitarian aid aircraft not transporting people or cargo that are not directly related to the
relief effort.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 37

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 American Friends Service Committee

US Contact Field Contact

Dianne Forte AFSC Africa Regional Office
Regional Director 48 Cork Road
International Programs Box A1338
1501 Cherry Street Avondale, Harare
Philadelphia, PA 19102 Zimbabwe
Tel: (215)-241-7138
Fax: (215)-241-7026
Email: dforte@asfc.org

Introduction to American Friends Service Committee

The American Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social justice,
and peace programs throughout the world. AFSC in Africa works in collaboration with
Africans on economic, social and political justice initiatives, including community
development, adult education, leadership training, and local institutional capacity building.
AFSC also stands ready to respond with short-term emergency relief in situations resulting
from natural disasters and violent conflict, with particular attention to assist more
vulnerable communities with methodologies that enable them to move from dependency
upon aid on to empowered recovery and development.

Peace, Reconciliation and Human Rights Program

The goal of this program is to bring the perspectives and concerns of local people to
national, regional and international forums to resolve differences based on various forms of
intolerance so that far-reaching and lasting peace and social justice be achieved.

American Friends Service Committee in the Great Lakes

Activities
• Facilitate discussions among religious leaders in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda to form inter-faith leadership groups that will engage
in national reconciliation and peace building and promote religious tolerance and
harmony.
• Support programs for community education and advocacy on peace building and peace
with reconciliation in the region.
• Work with local and international organizations to promote alternative to violent
programs.
• Engage with local and international organizations to promote the use of
healing/restorative justice in the judicial systems.
• Empower electorate to advocate for equal media time, free movement of people, audit
of voter roles and easy access to polling stations.
• Create mechanism for civic/peace education—especially among youths.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 38

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Economic Justice Program
AFSC partners with local organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Burundi, and Rwanda to raise awareness to involve more people in economic decisions of
the countries in the Great Lakes at the policy level.

Activities:
• Assist national and regional media organizations to develop media programs for
visibility of ideas of peace, justice and accountability.
• Enhance Parliamentarians’ capacity for people-based economic planning and
decision- making.
• Strengthen Jubilee/Africa to cancel debt for poorest countries.
• Facilitate people’s participation in alternative national budget processes.

Youths and Women Leadership Formation

AFSC collaborates with youth and women groups to challenge the cultural and political
authorities and push for increased participation in the decision making process.

Activities:
• Organize workshops at national and regional levels to build the capacity of leaders
of professional women’s organizations within the four countries of concentration.
• Sponsor exchanges between different local women’s organizations to strengthen
their networks in the areas of peace and human rights and political life.
• Facilitate the establishment of programs that will build the capacity of youth
political and economic leadership.
• Mobilize youths for popular economic workshops.
• Develop strategies with policy- makers and civil society to expand public space for
women.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 39

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

US Contact Field Contact

Marcia Presky Please contact the home office.
Director
JDC-International Development Program
711 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-885-0832
Fax: 212-370-5467
Email: Marcia.Presky@jdcny.org

Introduction to American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) works on behalf of the
American Jewish community in over 50 countries outside of North America. Its mission is
the rescue, relief and reconstruction of Jewish communities worldwide. Through its
International Development Program (IDP), JDC conducts development and disaster relief
activities on a non-sectarian basis. Non-sectarian projects have been completed in more
than 40 countries.

JDC in Rwanda
JDC’s initial efforts aided Rwandan refugees who had fled their country in response to the
violence that erupted in 1994. JDC’s emergency relief addressed some of the urgent
medical and sanitation needs of refugees residing in overcrowded camps. Upon the
refugees’ return home, JDC, in partnership with several other InterAction members such as
the International Rescue Committee, conducted agricultural and water supply rehabilitation
projects, trauma relief training utilizing Israeli expertise, and income generation activities.
Assistance was also provided to IRC for its unaccompanied minors and family
reunification projects.

The final JDC non-sectarian activity in Rwanda is the “Back to School” Project, which is
being carried out in partnership with the local NGO, the Benishyaka Association. Initiated
in 1997, this educational project provided 1,500 orphans aged 12-18 from the Kibungo
Prefecture with school supplies and uniforms to enable them to return to secondary school.
Approximately 200 of the most impoverished students were also selected for sponsorship
for what was initially the four-year secondary school program. Mid-project, however, the
course of study was changed to six years, extending JDC’s involvement.

Despite the many challenges faced by these students, in July 2003, 37 young women and
46 young men became the first graduating class of the JDC-sponsored project. Today, 88
students remain in the program, which includes schools from nearly every prefecture in the
country, and it is anticipated that the remaining students will complete the course by July
of 2006.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 40

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Baptist World Aid

US Contact Field Contact

Paul Montacute N/A
Director
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
Tel: 703 790 8980
Fax: 703 790 5719
Email: BWAid@Bwanet.org
Website: www.bwanet.org

Introduction to Baptist World Aid

Baptist World Aid (BWAid) is the compassionate arm of the Baptist World Alliance,
supporting those in need irrespective of tribe, caste, color or religion through relief,
development and fellowship assistance.

BWAid in the Great Lakes

BWAid works with and through seven Baptist Conventions and Unions in Uganda,
Rwanda and the northeast of the DR Congo.

Program Sectors
Agriculture and Food production, Disaster and Emergency Relief, Health Care, Human
Rights/Peace/Conflict Resolution, Education/Training, Rural development, HIV/Aids,
Water and Sanitation.

Brief Description of Projects

Each project is administered by the local indigenous leadership of the particular Baptist
group.

Project Locations
Northern Uganda, most areas of Rwanda, and the Kivu region of DR Congo, centered on
Goma.

Funding Sources
Primarily from churches and individual donors.

Cooperative Efforts
Each Baptist group tends to have other NGO partners as well as BWAid.

Special Concerns
Safety and security.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 41

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 CARE

US Contact Field Contact

Michelle Carter Burundi
Deputy Regional Director, East and Central Kassie McIlvaine
Africa Tel: 257 21 4660
CARE Email: kassie@careburundi.org
151 Ellis St.
Atlanta, GA, 30303 DRC
Tel: 404-979-9177 Brian Larson
Email: mcarter@care.org Tel: 243 9820 9183
E- mail: larsoncarerdc@micronet.cd

Rwanda
Anne Morris
Tel: 250 583 147
Email: annem@care.org.rw

Uganda
Phil Vernon
Tel: 256 41 258 568
Email: vernon@careug.org

Introduction to CARE
CARE's mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the
world. We aim to help people overcome poverty by creating lasting solutions to their most
threatening problems. CARE seeks to facilitate lasting change by: strengthening capacity
for self- help; providing economic opportunity, delivering relief in emergencies,
influencing policy decisions at all levels, and addressing discrimination in all its forms.

Care in the Great Lakes

In the Great Lakes, CARE works in partnership with other stakeholders to understand and
address the underlying causes of poverty, and to contribute to the establishment of peace
and reconciliation, in order to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable and marginalized
groups.

In Burundi, CARE is the major World Food Programme partner, distributing food to
displaced people, recently returned refugees, and those coping with drought and other
crises. Other projects include: providing small livestock to vulnerable households in the
north, peace education (radio programs, dramas) in Ngozi, helping formerly displaced
people rebuild their homes in Ngozi, establishing an early warning system for natural
disasters, helping small-scale farmers increase crop production, malaria prevention and
improving maternal and child nutrition.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 42

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
In DRC, CARE is involved in a nationwide civil society peace-building program (for
example, in Ituri, activities include radio programs and fixing roads). In Manyema, CARE
helps rehabilitate health clinics. CARE is part of a coalition preparing to undertake child-
soldier demobilization activities, and another coalition preparing to restore the railway
system.

In Rwanda, projects include working with orphans and vulnerable children, to improve
their nutritional, health and economic security; working with district hospitals to reduce
maternal mortality; microcredit and savings activity for 7,500 rural households; basic and
life skills (i.e. literacy, income-generation, HIV prevention) for children not attending
school; and training community mentors to support 3,000 child-headed households.

In Uganda, CARE is working with lake communities to strengthen fishery resources,

which are their primary means of income; improving access to reproductive health
services; supporting local efforts to advocate, care for and support children impacted by
AIDS (including orphans) and prevent further spread of HIV; and providing emergency
support, including health services and water, to people displaced by fighting.

CARE in Burundi
Ngozi Watershed Rehabilitation:
The project promotes the participatory management of natural resources including wetland
farming, and promotes community-based management structures.

Community Based Bujumbura Peace Project:

The project promotes conflict management/resolution, youth economic activities and civil
society strengthening.

Early Warning Systems:

CARE and FAO are spearheading efforts to monitor interventions and to build permanent
capacity for emergency needs assessments. In collaboration with FAO the Early Warning
provides a system of data collection, analysis and dissemination to respond to food
information needs for humanitarian response.

Health and Nutritional Improvement in Burundi:

The goal of the proposed project is to reduce maternal, infant and child mortality and
morbidity in Burundi. The purpose is to increase use of key MCH and nutrition
interventions and products among low- income populations. The project will address:
malaria prevention and control, maternal and child, diarrheal disease through improved
hygiene, increased practice of ORT, water treatment (HWT), and increased immunization
coverage through communications and social mobilization.

Muyinga Livelihood Project:

CARE Burundi proposes an integrated approach for enhancing agricultural production and
economic security. The following framework provides the major and potential components
of integrated (multi-sectoral) interventions for improving the livelihood of people in
Muyinga province:
InterAction Member Activity Report for 43
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Rehabilitation and Civil Society Strengthening for Peace Building:
Goal/Overall Objective is to facilitate the restoration of the physical, economic and social
environment of war affected communities in Burundi. The project works with local
organisations to target the most vulnerable that will benefit from the proposed civil society
strengthening and peace building activities.

Food distribution:
CARE and WFP are working together to target the most vulnerable populations and
monitor as closely as possible the end use. By initiating the community-based approach,
the project is aiming to make the beneficiaries more involved in all aspects of CARE
Burundi's food distribution project. CARE is working closely with committees chosen by
the community and always consisting of a female, to identify and ensure those most
vulnerable receive the distributed food.

Livestock:
CARE has entered into phase II of this project to help vulnerable households in northern
Burundi diversify their food supply and increase their income by raising goats, a traditional
activity interrupted by the insurgency war. Each participating household, many of which
are headed by women, both in displaced sites and in the surrounding hills receives a female
goat. CARE trains a community-elected committee in each village to manage the resultant
stock. CARE provides continuous workshops to each community committee to ensure
project objectives are being met.

Community Development and Rehabilitation (Tangara):

CARE Burundi provides assistance to help Burundian IDPs return home and rebuild their
lives. The project will assist IDPs to reconstruct their houses and improve sanitation
facilities. Over 750 families receive assistance in constructing residences and latrines. The
project will also rehabilitate schools, markets and water sources to strengthen the
community infrastructure. The project also works with the local artisans to improve their
skills and artisanship and establish micro-credit to assist them in starting their work.

Peace Education (Ngozi):

CARE works with local partners to help the people of Burundi reconcile the past and build
together towards a promising future. The project staff work with different forms of media
to create dialogue among citizens concerning peace-building activities. Locally written
and produced dramas presented in villages by community players spur the audience to
discuss the current situation and realize that the keys to peace are found in communities
and households as well as with civil society and political leaders.

CARE in the DRC

Peace and Reconciliation Project:
Support to Civil Society activities in relation to Peace & Reconciliation, through small
grants program.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 44

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Health Project—S. Maniema Province:
Support to health services in 2 health zones: EPI, Essential Drugs, MCH, rehab health
infrastructures, and training.

Kasongo Water and Sanitation (KWASA):

Aim is to rehabilitate wells in 30 villages and in health centres and schools. Training,
hygiene sensitization/education and community participation are important components of
the project. KWASA project will complement other current and planned projects
implemented by CARE in the same geographical areas (health, infrastructures, food
security, peace & reconciliation).

Infrastructure S. Maniema Province:

Rehabilitation of roads & bridges in South Maniema Province to help re-open trade and
economic links with other areas.

Child Soldier Reintegration:

Work with local NGOs to trace child soldiers in Maniema Province, and return them to
their home communities. Works with local communities to reintegrate and rehabilitate
children who have been in armed groups.

CARE in Rwanda
Women Agricultural Rural Development (WARD):
To improve productive capacity among 80 women's groups (from phase II), totaling 1500
households in six communes of Gikongoro Prefecture, through improving agricultural
productivity and improved farmer- led food security management mechanisms,
organizational structure and analytical skills for self- management.

Community Based Livelihood Enhancement (CLE):

To enhance management capacities of community development stakeholders in Ruhengeri
prefecture, through enhanced linkages among community development stakeholders,
increased conceptual and technical expertise amongst stakeholders groups, and improved
organizational and financial capacities of local communities.

Mobile Community Health Services for Umutara Prefecture:

To improve the health status of reproductive age women and children under the age of 5
through increased access of maternal and child health care, increased capacity for
community health providers to provide improved basic health , and increased capacity and
improved knowledge of government health personnel for provision of quality reproductive
services.

LIFE:
To advance the rights and, particularly, the food, nutritional, health, and economic security
of orphans and vulnerable children through enhancing their resolve and capacities and
those of the broader communities in which they live to address the situation.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 45

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Foundations to Enhance Management of Maternal Emergencies (FEMME):
Reduce at least to 10% maternal mortality in 3 district hospitals by April 2004, through
access to quality EOC Services and improved facilities that can provide EOC services.

Community Learning and Action for Savings Stimulation Enhancement (CLASSE):

To improve substantially the access of 7,500 agribusiness-oriented rural households
through promotion of locally mana ged micro-savings services, enhanced local financial
resource mobilization and support rural savings, improve and maintain high operational
performance of community savings-based organization, and establishing a supportive
environment for community savings organizations.

Trees for the Future (CAPII):

To enhance capacity of primary schools and women's associations to raise environmental
awareness and to develop and implement sustainable income-generating activities for
improved household livelihood security.

Strengthening New Communities (SNC):

To improve the economic and social viability of new communities through improving
government/local association relations, organizing group income generating activities, and
improving community participation in enforcing bylaws concerning the use of community
environmental resources and empowering women.

Civil Society Support Project:

Support umbrella civil society organizations and their members through institutional
strengthening, development of civic education initiative, and development of mechanisms
for policy dialogue.

Rapid Effective Action to Combat HIV/AIDS (REACH):

To provide care and support to chronically vulnerable households, especially by
strengthening local PLWHAs and child-headed household associations and linking them to
public and private health and legal aid service providers.

Programme d’Appui a la Decentralisation et au Development (PADDEP):

Decentralization project in Ruhengeri province, designed to enable and support provincial
economic development through support to governance at the provincial and district levels.
Key activities include capacity strengthening of government and civil society and
facilitation of the development and implementation of the province’s poverty reduction
strategy and plan.

SCORE-AIDS:
To support community- led analysis of HIV/AIDS-related vulnerability and planning and
implementation of grassroots action in response. Community response plans will protect
and promote the livelihoods of AIDS-affected households, identifying innovative ways to
reduce poverty, ignorance of HIV/AIDS, and stigma associated with AIDS.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 46

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Community Harnessed Initiatives for Children’s Learning and Development (CHILD)
Project:
To advance basic and life skills education for out-of-school children and youth who cannot
be reintegrated into the formal school system. This pilot will be community led, with a
strong focus on linking literacy (reading, writing, mathematics), vocational (skills
development, income-generation activities, cooperative principles) and life skills (gender,
rights and peace education, conflict mitigation, leadership, HIV prevention).

Nukunabana Initiative for Psychosocial Support:

To equip 600 community mentors (Nkundabanas) to assume a parenting role for 3000
child headed households (CHH), especially to provide psychosocial support to orphans and
vulnerable children. Such assistance is vital in light of the fact that many of these children
lived through and remain deeply scarred by the genocide of 1994 and the loss of one or
both parents due to AIDS.

CARE in Uganda
Development Through Conservation (DTC):
The project supports the conservation of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the sustainable development of the surrounding
communities. Activities are divided broadly into three components: Park management and
community conservation, Institutional Development, and Agricultural Development.

Community Reproductive Health Project (CREHP):

The project consolidates district level family planning services and integrates selected
interventions in maternal health and sexually transmitted infections. CREHP has been
instrumental in promoting and supporting the model of community reproductive health
workers with strong linkages to local health units.

Joint Encouragement of New Gainful Activities (JENGA):

The project aims to enable people to start up and operate income generating activities
(IGAs) and microenterprises (MEs) profitably and so contribute to the livelihood security
of the participating households, through reinforcing linkages between businesses, local
training institutions (in particular the local partner CREAM) and low income households.

Educational Development for Greater Empowerment (EDGE):

EDGE is targeting non- literate adults and young people, providing them an opportunity to
access out-of-school basic education. The REFLECT learning process emphasizes
discussion, critical analysis and reflection on participants’ own living conditions.

Reintegration, Employment and Income in the North (REIN):

The project objective is to establish a sustainable foundation for the social and economic
rehabilitation of Gulu and Kitgum Districts, through cash employment, access to markets,
training, and social services.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 47

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Integrated Lake Management (ILM):
The project aims to sustain and improve the livelihoods of these communities by sustaining
their primary means of income and food security—their fisheries resources. This will be
done though empowering communities to manage their resources, and developing and
advocating for policy frameworks that promote community based management supporting
joint government-CS management institutions.

Conservation of Biodiversity for Sustainable Development (COBS):

The project (under the lead agency ARD) works at both national and district levels with an
overall goal of biodiversity conservation, sustainable rural development, and
mainstreaming environmental concerns into development at all levels, through:
Rationalizing protected area planning, Environmental Action Planning, and Raising
awareness in environmental impact assessment.

Queen Elizabeth National Park Community Conservation (QEPA-CCP):

The project aims to harmonize the relationship between the Park authorities and the
surrounding communities, building upon a common interest in the natural resources of the
protected area itself. This will be achieved through the realization of three immediate
objectives: A collaborative management framework for sustainable and mutually beneficial
relationships.

Food Security Through Farmers Innovations Project (FIP):

The project aims to improve the food security of 4,000 resource poor households in Kabale
district through enhancing their capacity to respond to production challenges and
opportunities in their environment. The project emphasizes community based planning
and stakeholder analysis, including an action-research and policy advocacy component
(implemented by a coalition of CSOs and research institutions) related to the privatization
of agriculture extension services.

Nakasongola Community Reproductive Health Project (FP+):

The project, jointly implemented with SCF-USA, seeks to eliminate barriers to access
quality reproductive health services by: Providing access to preventive sexual and
reproductive health information, facilitating communities to improve the quality of and
access to existing district RH/FP services, reduction of social barriers to better sexual and
reproductive health through community action.

Hope for the African Child (HACI):

The HACI is a joint initiative of five international organizations to address prevention-care
mitigation continuum with mutually reinforcing program strategies, strengthen the capacity
of local communities to advocate, care for and support children impacted by HIV/AIDS
and prevent further spread of HIV.

Initiative for Participation and Active Collaboration (INPACT):

This project works with civil society organisations and local government in Arua District
in NW Uganda to improve their capacity to work jointly in the promotion and fulfilment of
basic human rights.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 48
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Programme Design Initiative (PDI):
PDI was a 6- month collaborative design initiative to work with other actors in SW Uganda
in the development of a 5-year strategy for funding by the DANIDA. The program
designed (REPA, see UGA 074 – 077) aims to promote equitable sharing of costs and
benefits of conservation and management of common property natural resources.

Gulu Emergency Response (GER):

GER started as an emergency operation focusing on provision of shelter supplies, support
of health services and rehabilitation of water supply to IDPs in Northern Uganda,
especially Gulu. Currently it also includes the establishment of an Emergency and
Rehabilitation sector unit based in Gulu and the support to a coalition of CSOs for peace in
Northern Uganda (CSOPNU).

Community Resilience and Dialogue (CRD):

CRD is implemented by a consortium of six international NGOs to promote, facilitate, and
enhance community-based activities to address and overcome effects and underlying
causes of conflict and chronic vulnerability. The CARE team trains CRD consortium staff
and their partners in the area of microfinance and small business development approaches,
targeting 200,000 families in war affected areas in western and northern Uganda, using
well established and tested savings & loans mechanisms and small business training
modules.

Sexual Health for Adolescents in Kabale (SHADO):

The Sexual Health for Adolescents in Kabale Project (SHADO) aims at enabling
adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 years living in the predominantly rural district of
Kabale in South-Western Uganda, to make informed sexual and reproductive health
choices, in an empowering and supportive environment.

Income Smoothing Through Agricultural Marketing Intervention (ISAMI):

ISAMI has been designed in collaboration with the Farmer Union of Kabale district which
supports and is comprised mainly of subsistence farmers in southwestern Uganda. ISAMI
uses innovative approaches like Inventory Credit and ROSCAs to achieve its target of an
"increased and steady income flow for at least 5,000 subsistence farmers, with total family
members of 30,000".

Rights, Equity and Protected Areas (REPA) - Environmental Advocacy component:

This is the first of a number of components of a new rights-oriented natural resource
management program implemented in SW Uganda (REPA). REPA works with the landless
and resource poor to promote the equitable sharing of costs and benefits attached to the
management within common property areas such as lakes, forests, wetlands or wildlife-
protected areas. The advocacy component is implemented by a number of local and
international CSOs focusing on environmental rights advocacy, supported by a CARE
advocacy expert.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 49

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
REPA -Programme Design and Coordination Facility (PDCF):
This integrated unit coordinates and harmonises the efforts of the various components and
partners within the broader REPA programme, supports the development of individual
programme components as well as negotiating partnerships and roles, and ensures the
implementation of a joint monitoring and cross- learning plan.

REPA - Applied Research component:

Managed jointly by CDRN (specialised in civil society research) and ITFC (tropical forest
research), applied research carried out under this component will assess assumptions
linking the strengthening of civil society with the alleviation of poverty, improvements in
governance and the integration of conservation with development. Research results will
inform the development and refinement of REPA components.

REPA - Conservation Costs and Benefits component:

This component will review, disseminate and promote successes, lessons learned and
experiences of CARE and other players in the region to refine and more systematically
apply a rights based approach to the management of protected areas in Uganda. REPA
further supports NGO partners in interventions that ensure an equal share of benefits for
poor, protected area-adjacent communities.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 50

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Catholic Relief Services

US Contact Field Contact

Ed Kiely Kevin Hartigan
Catholic Relief Services Country Representative
209 West Fayette Street No. 75 bis, Av. De la Justice
Baltimore MD 21201 C/o ECC/SANRU
Tel: 410- 625-2220 x 3554 Kinshasa, Gombe, Democratic Rep. of Congo
Email: ekiely@catholicrelief.org Tel: 243-880-5413
Email: khartigan@crscongo.org

Introduction to Catholic Relief Services

CRS was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor
and disadvantaged outside the country. It is administered by a Board of Bishops selected
by the National Council of Catholic Bishops and is staffed by men and women committed
to the Catholic Church's apostolate of helping those in need. It maintains strict standards of
efficiency and accountability.

The fundamental motivating force in all activities of CRS is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it
pertains to the alleviation of human suffering, the development of people and the fostering
of charity and justice in the world. The policies and programs of the agency reflect and
express the teaching of the Catholic Church. At the same time, CRS assists persons on the
basis of need, not creed, race or nationality.

CRS gives active witness to the mandate of Jesus Christ to respond to human needs in the
following ways: by responding to victims of natural and man- made disasters; by providing
assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs; by supporting self- help programs
which involve people and communities in their own development; by helping those it
serves to restore and preserve their dignity and to realize their potential; by collaborating
with religious and nonsectarian persons and groups of goodwill in programs and projects
which contribute to a more equitable society; and by helping to educate the people of the
United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities in alleviating human suffering, removing
its causes and promoting social justice.

Catholic Relief Services in the DR Congo

CRS/DR Congo divides its energies between development projects, emergency relief, and
peace and justice work. Most of our development work is concentrated in the Kasai
region in the center of the country, and in the Bas Congo region directly southwest from
Kinshasa. The geographic focus of our emergency relief and justice/peace work is the
eastern region of the country. We also manage HIV/AIDS and street children activities in
Kinshasa. The great majority of our partners are diocesan and national Church agencies
but we also work with several non-Church and Protestant partners.

Program activities include:

InterAction Member Activity Report for 51

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Justice & Peace
CRS/Congo recently finished a four- year project to strengthen both national and diocesan
Justice and Peace Commissions. A new project is now beginning which will focus on
further strengthening commissions in the most conflict-affected dioceses in eastern DRC.
This work is supported by a number of our European Catholic partners (Cordaid, Trocaire,
Secours Catholique). The project includes training and assistance in areas of conflict
resolution, reconciliation, civic education, legal aid, women’s rights and human rights.

In addition CRS supports the peacebuilding activities of the Association of Bishops

Conferences of Great Lakes (ACEAC), taking in Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC, as well
as advocacy contacts and exchanges between the USCCB and the DRC Episcopal
Conference.

Community Health
CRS/Congo works with local partners, primarily diocesan- level medical offices, to help
improve access to quality primarily health care, with a focus on mothers and children less
than two years of age. This work is especially important in a country where churches
provide most health care services, as the government has virtually abdicated its
responsibility in the health sector. Our health work is supported by USAID and UNICEF.

Agriculture
CRS currently supports community-based agricultural projects in several areas of the
country, including a World Bank- funded program to rebuild farm-to- market infrastructure
(roads and bridges).

Emergency Response
Over the past five years, CRS/Congo has assisted victims of war (in the DRC and
neighboring countries), floods, volcanic eruptions, mudslides and epidemics. This
assistance has taken the form of food, medicine, shelter, clinic and school rehabilitation,
flood mitigation work, etc. CRS/Congo is also pursuing a strategy of strengthening local
partners in emergency preparedness and response, concentrating on diocesan structures in
the war-affected eastern region of the country. This program was initiated recently with
support from several international Caritas partners, most notably Caritas New Zealand.

CRS/Congo and the diocese of Kisantu have been providing assistance to approximately
15,000 refugees from Angola since September 2001. This assistance, funded by the
UNHCR, includes medical care, primary and secondary education, food and non- food
distributions and social services for vulnerable groups (e.g. orphans, handicapped).

Education
CRS/Congo works with Catholic, Protestant and Ministry of Education authorities in the
Sankuru district to revitalize primary education through teacher training, school
rehabilitation, translation and distribution of teaching manuals, and promotion of girls’
education. CRS recently secured DFID (British Govt.) funding for the program’s
expansion.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 52

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
HIV/AIDS
CRS supports two HIV/AIDS projects in the DRC and is planning to expand this work in
the coming years. AIDS has been a low priority of our Church partners during the recent
war but is beginning to get more attention. We currently support a women’s association in
Kinshasa doing care, support, awareness raising in schools, and voluntary counseling and
testing. We also recently began supporting an AIDS education project with the rural
diocese of Popokabaka. We are working with the Secretary General of the Episcopal
Conference to hold a national meeting of Church agencies working on AIDS, with the
objective of accelerating the development of such activities nationwide.

Street Children
CRS currently supports the most important organization assisting street children in
Kinshasa - ORPER (Oeuvre de reclassement et de protection des enfants de la rue)—which
manages a network of drop- in centers and homes for girls and boys throughout the city.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 53

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Christian Children’s Fund

US Contact Field Contact

Toni Radler James Ameda
Christian Children's Fund National Director
P.O. Box 26484 Christian Children's Fund-Uganda
Richmond, VA 23261-6484 P.O. Box 3341
Tel: 804-756-2722 Kampala, Uganda
Email: tlradler@ccfusa.org Tel: 256-41-34-5352
Webs: www.ChristianChildrensFund.org

Introduction to Christian Children’s Fund

CCF is an international development organization which assists 4.6 million children and
families worldwide. CCF is a non-sectarian humanitarian organization working for the
survival, development and protection of children without regard to race, creed, or gender.
CCF works for the well being of children by supporting locally led initiatives that
strengthen families and communities, helping them overcome poverty and protect the
rights of their children. CCF programs are comprehensive—incorporating health,
education, nutrition and livelihood interventions that sustainably protect, nurture and
develop children. CCF works in any environment where poverty, conflict and disaster
threaten the well being of children.

Christian Children’s Fund in Uganda

CCF has been working in Uganda since 1980, assisting approximately 176,000 children
and families in approximately 50 communities in 22 districts. In addition to CCF's
traditional health, nutrition, sanitation, micro-enterprise, education and early childhood
development programs, CCF-Uganda has launched several innovative programs including:
Community-based approaches to HIV/AIDS; water development programs; malaria
prevention programs; and emergency assistance to children and families who have been
displaced and affected by ongoing violence in northern Uganda. On a yearly basis, CCF
provides approximately $4.8 million in services to Ugandan children and families, most of
this from private contribution sources.

Emergency Relief In Northern Uganda

CCF works in many of the communities most heavily affected by the ongoing incursions
of the Lord's Resistance Army; as residents flee from the LRA, CCF is helping reunite
children and parents, and assisting with distribution of supplies. CCF continues to
distribute food, blankets and household supplies to IDPs in Gulu, Lira, Soroti and Katakwi
districts in northern Uganda. CCF is working with the World Food Program to distribute
food throughout N. Uganda.

Agriculture and Food Production

To ensure that families are empowered to meet basic needs, CCF provides heifers and
goats as part of its revolving livestock program, and provides families with groundnut

InterAction Member Activity Report for 54

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
seeds in the form of in-kind grants. CCF also provides parents with training in improved
farming methods and animal husbandry.

HIV/AIDS
CCF social workers and trained community members provide home-based care training to
family members and community members, helping them care for AIDS victims at home.
CCF's HIV/AIDS awareness programs include peer counseling, drama presentations, and
life skills training for youth and reproductive health education. In addition, CCF provides
psychosocial training for AIDS affected families and provides support groups for those
with AIDS and for AIDS affected family members.

Nutrition, Water & Sanitation

To assist in nutrition, CCF-affiliated communities establish kitchen gardens. CCF works
with communities to create access to water, and improve environmental sanitation with pit
latrines.

Early Childhood Development

CCF has established Early Childhood Care and Development Centers in communities
where it works throughout Uganda. ECCD monitors and stimulates the growth and
development of children from the age of birth to 8. This includes physical, mental and
emotional growth support.

Education
CCF continues to participate actively in the building of the National Civil Society
Coalition to advocate for functional access to education for all and to disseminate
government and donor policy on education. In addition, CCF has built and/or repaired
classrooms in communities throughout Uganda, provides classroom equipment such as
desks, helps build and/or maintain teacher houses and helps pay school fees for CCF-
assisted children. CCF has also launched a sensitization campaign on the importance of
girl education in communities where we work.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 55

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Christian Reformed World Relief Committee

US Contact Field Contact

Kristen deRoo VanderBerg Please contact Grand Rapids (US) office.
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Tel: 800-55-CRWRC
Fax: 616-224-0806
Web: www.crwrc.org

Canadian Contact (inquiries and updates)

Marcia Mantel
3475 Mainway PO Box 5070 STN LCD 1
Burlington, ON Canada L7R 3Y8
Tel: 800-730-3490
Fax: 905-336-8344

Introduction to Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)

CRWRC is a Christian international relief and development agency that comes alongside
of the poor in 29 countries around the world. CRWRC’s mission is to engage God’s
people in redeeming resources and developing gifts in collaborative activities of love,
mercy, justice, and compassion. This mission is carried out in partnership with local
churches and nongovernmental organizations in all of the countries where CRWRC works.

CRWRC in the Great Lakes

DRC
CRWRC was last active in the Congo following the Goma volcanic eruptions in January of
2002. There are currently no permanent staff in the country, although there is potential
capacity to respond in the event of a disaster or to a situation requiring relief materials. In
light of this, CRWRC will be part of a delegation of Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB)
members to visit Congo and other conflict areas in different countries (including northern
Uganda). The basic purpose of the delegation would be to assess the overall situation of
displaced populations, the needs for food and seeds, and possible programming responses
with CFGB resources, as appropriate.

Rwanda
CRWRC began working in Rwanda after the war and genocide of 1994. The focus of its
relief work has been Kibuye Prefecture, one of the most impoverished regions in Rwanda.
Kibuye was also hit especially hard by the massacres of 1994 and tensions remain strong.
Although CRWRC’s strategy normally focuses its work with church partners, Rwanda
presents a special challenge in doing so since several church leaders in Rwanda perpetrated
some of the genocide. Thus, there is an enormous need to work on reconciliation and
peace-building issues, generally recognized as demanding a long-term approach. CRWRC
is partnering with the Association Wihogora, the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR)

InterAction Member Activity Report for 56

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
and the Free Methodist Church of Rwanda (EMLR) on food security projects covering four
Kibuye districts.

Uganda
CRWRC has been working in Uganda since 1982, when it started partnering with the
Church of Uganda (Episcopal) in Arua. Since then, CRWRC has partnered formally and
informally with 23 Christian organizations, church-based groups, and other programs.
CRWRC’s focus in Uganda has always been to combine organizational development with
the support of integrated/holistic community development programs. Several of the
organizations CRWRC has worked with have graduated into mature interdependent
organizations and many others have continued to implement their own programs after
CRWRC ceased funding. Currently, CRWRC works with a number of churches and
community based Christian organizations, mainly in the north and northeastern areas of
Uganda. These are also the areas most affected by insecurity. Except for Arua District in
the northeast, all of these other CRWRC working areas are hosting displaced populations.

Organizational Capacity Building

CRWRC’s ministry in DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and around the world, is carried out in
partnership with local, nongovernmental organizations. CRWRC staff work alongside of
these partner groups and provide them with mentoring and training, while receiving
valuable feedback and insight from the partner groups in return.

Through partnerships like these, CRWRC is able to become more closely linked with the
communities with which it works. CRWRC is also able to equip partner agencies to carry
out effective programs long after CRWRC’s partnership with them is over.

Agriculture and Food Production

Rwanda: CRWRC has initiated a number of goat projects in partnership with the
Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) and USAID, the Free Methodist Church in Rwanda
(EMLR), and Association Wihogora and USAID. Each program provides training in
animal husbandry, beneficiaries receive forage seeds, and support staff, including vets, are
put into place. In total, 4,000 households are targeted with the distribution of as many
goats.

Uganda: There are currently 3 agricultural programs in place in Uganda. CRWRC’s

partners in these projects are the Christian Charity Centre of Uganda (CCC), Nebbi
Diocese Planning and Development Office - Church of Uganda (Nebbi), and Ukuru
Archdeaconry Planning and Development Committee, Church of Uganda (UAPDC). The
CCC project involves 300 farmers of both genders and provides for training in modern
techniques, training of oxen, and loans for plows. The Nebbi project targets 10 farmers in
each of 6 groups for training in crop and animal production and post- harvest techniques.
The third project, through UAPDC, involves just over 700 beneficiaries and it aims to help
them increase their yields in groundnut, beans, and maize production.

Income Generation/Small Business Development

InterAction Member Activity Report for 57

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Uganda: With UAPDC, CRWRC has initiated a project through which 318 members of
associations receive both training and loans for small business development. There are
also 2 goats projects in Uganda that are classified as income generation projects. The first
one, through Nebbi, targets 5 groups of widows (over 300 participants) with training in
small business management and the care of goats. Beneficiaries also construct their own
huts for the goats. The first female kid of the goat is given to another widow. Nebbi is
also engaging 60 participants in a market feasibility study on coffee, millet and beans.
This project has also encouraged the formation of 5 produce-buying groups, which receive
training on buying and selling produce.

The other goat project, through Pentecostal Assemblies of God - Katakwi Integrated
Development Organization (PAG-KIDO), involves the provision of goats on credit and the
training of community development workers, para-vets and participants. Also through
PAG-KIDO, CRWRC is involved in providing 500 kg of improved groundnut seeds for 20
groups with training in modern farming techniques and group dynamics (with 380
participants). Lastly, through CCC, CRWRC has engaged 70 participants (6 groups) in
community banks and the provision of loans accompanied by training and workshops.

Health
Uganda: Over 750 participants are benefiting from a project with CRWRC’s partner
Christian Outreach Ministry and Education (COME) which assists groups of internally
displaced peoples living with AIDS. A malaria project with Nebbi targets 627 (495
female) participants in 4 communities. Surve ys are conducted, health committees are
established and members are trained. Through community cost sharing, mosquito nets are
provided.

Other health projects, through UAPDC, include the construction of protected springs and
latrines, selection and training of water committees. Health workers, including birth
attendants, are also trained and form health committees.

Literacy
Uganda: One project, through UAPDC, provides training for teachers, helps in the
acquisition of literacy materials, and establishe s classes and testing for the participants.
The other literacy project, which targets 250 participants, is established through PAG-
KIDO and provides scholastic material, small group loans to start a group revolving fund,
and other supplies like blackboards and reading charts.

Other projects, especially in Uganda, include the training and mobilization of youth, and
leadership training for deacons.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 58

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Church World Service

US Contact Field Contact

Donna J Derr Please contact the Washington office.
Church World Service Emergency Response
110 Maryland Avenue, NE. Suite 108
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: 202-544-2350
Email: donnajderr@aol.com

Introduction to Church World Service

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance
ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States.
Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS
works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self- reliance for all whose way is hard.

Church World Service in the Great Lakes

Church World Service (CWS) has long-standing ties with churches and ecumenical
agencies in the Great Lakes region. CWS has responded to needs in the region as a
member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network. Among the
CWS partners in the Great Lakes region are the Council National des Eglises du Burundi
(CNEB); Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC); the Young Women's Christian Association
(YWCA) of Rwanda; the Rwanda Women's Network (RWN); Rwandan Union of
Agriculturalists and Animal Breeders (INGABO); Church of Uganda Planning,
Development & Rehabilitation (COU – PDR).

Program Sectors
Agriculture and Food Production; Disaster and Emergency Relief; Education/Training;
Gender Issues/Women in Development; Health Care; Human Rights/Peace/Conflict
Resolution; Refugee and Migration Services; Rural Development.

Program Locations
CWS-supported work is being conducted in four countries: Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and
Uganda.

Funding Sources
Denominational funding; public support.

Scale of Programs
CWS-supported programs are assisting more than 250,000 persons in the region.

Cooperative Efforts
CWS works with partners; our work model is to work cooperatively with other agencies,
including church-related groups, local governments and international bodies.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 59

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Special Concerns
Beyond emergency relief in areas affected by conflict, a particular concern of our work in
the region is providing skills-training and other assistance to empower women in rural
communities.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 60

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Concern Worldwide

US Contact Field Contact

Mr. Dominic MacSorley Burundi
Concern Worldwide US Mr.David Crawford, Country Director
104 East 40th Street, Room 903 Rohero 1, Avenue Muyinga
New York, NY 10016 Bujumbura, Burundi
Tel: 212-557-8000 Tel: (257) 241 660/241 659
Email: dominic.macsorley@concern.net Email: concernb@usan-bu.net
Web: www.concernusa.org
DRC
Ms. Auriol Miller, Country Director
Avenue Likasi No.8
Quartier Royal
Commune de la Gombe
Kinshasha, DROC
Tel: (243) 81 502 9670
Sat. Phone: 00 871 7630 39 158
Email: drc.headoffice@concern.net

Rwanda
Mr. Eddie Rogers, Country Director
Avenue de la Justice
P.O.Box 2278
Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: (250) 57 2208/51 5646
Email: concernr@rwanda1.com

Uganda
Mr. Tim Fowler, Country Director
Cape town Road
Mawanga Zone, Ggaba
P.O. Box 6599
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: (256) 41 501 907/8
Email: concernuganda@concern.net

Introduction to Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide is a non-denominational voluntary organization dedicated to the relief,
assistance and advancement of the poorest in the least developed countries of the world.
Our mission is to enable absolutely poor people to achieve major achievements in their
lives which are sustainable without ongoing support from Concern. To this end we work
with the poor themselves and with local and international partners who share our vision to
create just and peaceful societies where the poor can exercise their fundamental rights.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 61

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Concern Worldwide in Burundi
Concern has been working in Burundi since 1997 and manages community based
programs that focus on food security, nutrition and health in three provinces: Bururi,
Cibitoke and Bujumbura Rurale.

Food Security
The food security program had evolved from emergency based assistance to longer-term
sustainable livelihood support. Working with local community associations, Concern’s
three-year program aims to improve overall food security for 1,500 households in the
provinces of Bururi, Bujumbura Rurale and Cibitoke. Program activities include
agricultural and livestock support, expansion of micro- finance, development of seed
multiplication centres, and capacity building with the DPAE (Ministry of Agriculture).

Health
Funded by the European Development Fund, Concern’s Health and Nutrition program is
being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health to improve health
management, enable equitable access to health care and develop community based health
care capacity. The program works in six communes and targets directly 95,000
beneficiaries and indirectly 380,000. The program focus is on: providing management and
technical support to health centres, supporting health centre outreach programs, providing
community based health care and building the capacity of the Provincial Health Bureau.

Nutrition
Working towards the Ministry of Health strategy, Concern’s nutrition program has
remained an emergency intervention, supporting malnourished target groups in three
communes in Bujumbura Rurale. The nutrition program targets an average of 400
beneficiaries a month. Activities include: managing two supplementary feeding programs,
provision of outreach screening and referral services, nutrition education, surveys
provision of a simple food security program for women and developing an expanded
emergency response mechanism.

Vulnerable Children/Education
Implemented in the provinces of Bujumbura Rurale and Cibitoke, the emphasis of the
program is on improving the economic and social position of children and adolescents.
Program activities include primary school education and teacher training, school
rehabilitation and community participation of children, targeting 2,500 children.

HIV/AIDS
As part of the broader organisational strategy, Concern is integrating HIV/AIDS at
programming level. In order to achieve this objective, Concern Burundi will dedicate
appropriate resources, conduct training and develop a country strategy to mainstream
HIV/AIDS into our work.

Funding Sources
The program bud get for 2003 is 3,162,000 USD with key funding sources from USAID,
ECHO, Ireland Aid, Concern general donations.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 62
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Concern Worldwide in the DRC
Concern first began working in D.R. Congo in 1994 and has its main office in Kinshasa
with programs located in North Kivu and Maniema province.

North Kivu: Volcano Hazard Awareness

Funded by OFDA, Concern began implementing this program in July 2002. The program
focuses on training people in participative communication methods and their roles in a
volcano related emergency. Further it develops risk mapping and emergency plans for the
Goma population of 350,000 and conducts information dissemination throughout the
region using the joint Concern/OCHS/ Volcanoligists video produced in late 2002. This is
disseminated via local media and the UN Radio Okapi as well as through churches,
schools, and administrative structures. Concern’s partners in implementing this program
are CRONGD, the Observatory of Volcanology, Radio Goma and Radio Okapi.

Maniema: Nutrition & Food Security

In October 2002, Concern began working in Kasongo, Maneima after a four month
research period. A nutrition survey indicated global malnutrition at 11.7% and led to the
opening of a therapeutic feeding centre in Kasongo hospital which, by the end of the year
was treating over 100 children. The program has been expanded into four health zones and
into previously insecure areas affected by the conflict between Mai-Mai militia and RCD
forces. The program works with health centres to reduce malnutrition in fewer than fives.
Four supplementary feeding centres and a therapeutic feeding centre with a capacity of
1,000 children have been constructed/rehabilitated. Finally the program works with sixteen
agricultural associations (16,000 people), providing them with training in food security and
supported with agricultural inputs.

Funding Sources
The program budget for 2003 is 2,283,000 USD with key funding sources from USAID,
ECHO, Ireland Aid, and Concern general donations.

Concern Worldwide in Rwanda

Concern has been working in Rwanda since 1994 and currently focuses its rehabilitation
and longer-term development operations in the provinces of Butare, Gitarama, Ruhengeri
and Umatara.

Livelihoods & Community Development

Targeting 8,750 people, Concern’ s livelihood community development program aims to
improve the capacity of targeted communities and their elected representatives to promote
sustainable improvements in their livelihoods through enhanced participation in
democratic processes. Activities include training workshops on government’s
decentralisation policy, assistance to associations through local NGOs and provision of
essential services (schools, water, sanitation facilities) through local community
development committees.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 63

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Social Education
Based in Butare and Gitarama provinces, this program focuses on utilising community-
based support systems that support vulnerable children. Activities include community
training and increased awareness of children’s rights, literacy training and the development
of income generation activities.

Health
Concern is working with the Nemba District health authorities in Ruhengeri province to
improve the quality and coverage of health care services. The overall purpose is to
contribute to a sustainable reduction in morbidity and maternal and child mortality and to
increase life expectancy with a focus on HIV/AIDS prevention, malaria control and
prevention of chronic malnutrition and newborn care.

Child Survival
Funded by USAID, Concern’s Child Survival program began in Butare in October 2001.
Targeting 33,800 families, the five- year program focuses on HIV/AIDs prevention, malaria
control and prevention of chronic malnutrition and newborn care.

Agriculture & Infrastructure Development

In collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and
other NGOs, Concern is implementing a ten- year program in Umatara. The overall aim is
to improve governance, reduce conflict and strengthen social cohesion to facilitate social
reconciliation in Umutara province. Concerns activities are part of the on- farm investment
component with provision of technology advisory and agricultural production services.

Microfinance Post Conflict

As part of a DFID funded research aimed at establishing best practices in the design and
implementation of micro- finance projects in post conflict situations, Concern has been
implementing a three-year micro- finance program in Gitatrama, Rwanda. Documents
(Best Practice & Tool Kit) have been designed from the research and lessons learned in the
first year of implementation. The program will be expanded in phase three providing
savings for 3,000 people and small loan facilities for 800. Further details are available on:
www.postconflictmicrofinance.org

Funding Sources:
The program budget for 2003 is 2,779,000 USD with key funding sources from USAID,
DFID, EU, UNICEF, and Concern general donations.

Concern Worldwide in Uganda

Concern has been working in Uganda since 1990 with projects located in four districts:
Rakai, Mpigi, Kampala and Katakwi.

Rakai Community/Capacity Development

The overall goal of this five- year program is to improve the living standards of the poor in
Rakai district by strengthening the capacity of local development actors to sustain long-
term development. Activities are focused on building the capacity of parish and sub-
InterAction Member Activity Report for 64
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
county level structures within local government that can support villages to prepare and
implement development plans in the sub-districts of Kirumba, Nabigasa and Lwamaggwa.

Mpigi HIV/AIDS Capacity Building

Covering five sub-counties in Gomba and Butambula, Concern has initiated a new five-
year HIV/AIDS capacity building project that aims to reduce the socio-economic effects of
HIV/AIDS on the poorest communities in Mpigi district. The program will focus on
strengthening local communities activities in: home care; micro-finance, legal rights,
vocational skills and advocacy. The key target group for this program will be people living
with HIV/AIDS and their caretakers, AIDS orphans, their guardians and the youth.

Kampala Community Empowerment

Based in Kampala, the five year Concern community empowerment program is being
implemented through local government structure and civil socie ty organisations in the
poorest areas of the city covering: Kamwokya II, Ndeeba, Kiseny II and Kisenyi III
parishes.

The principal target group is low- income families, particularly households headed by
women and orphaned guardians. Activities will focus on health, saving and credit groups
and increasing access to employment opportunities for youth.

Katakwi Decentralisation Support

This program works to strengthen the capacity of decentralised/local government in the
sub-counties of Obalanga and Kapelebyong to address development priorities of the
poorest more effectively. Insecurity in the area, due to long-term problems with their
Karimojong neighbours have resulted in many people being displaced with significant
decreases in their living standards. Through cooperation with peace building groups, such
as the Soroti justice Peace and Commission, an inter-church group, the program aims to
enhance peace building efforts.

Funding Sources
The program budget for 2003 is 2,417,000 USD with key funding sources from Ireland
Aid, DFID, EU, and Concern general donations.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 65

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Food for the Hungry

US Contact Field Contact

Dave Evans Michael Satin
Food for the Hungry Program Director
1224 E. Washington Street BP 514, Cyangugu, Rwanda
Phoenix, AZ 85034-1102 Tel: (250) 0830-2259
Email: devans@fhi.net

Introduction to Food for the Hungry

Mission Statement : motivated by Christ’s love, the international partnership of Food for
the Hungry exists to meet both physical and spiritual hungers of the poor.

Food for the Hungry US Operational Statement: FHUS seeks to walk with churches,
leaders, and families in overcoming all forms of human poverty by living in healthy
relationship with God and His creation.

Food for the Hungry in the DRC

FH has been active in the DR Congo since 1994, with programs to aid Rwandan refugees.
Since 1997 FH has been working to improve the capacity and willingness of local leaders,
churches, families and organizations to solve the problems of their communities, and to
increase the overall food security in eastern Congo.

FHI works extensively with local organizations and committees for distributions and
infrastructure projects. As agriculture is only one aspect of many in food security, and as
FH is only one age ncy among several working in food security, FH closely coordinates
with other international NGOs.

Past and present funding sources have included USAID/OFDA, UN-OCHA and private
sources. DR Congo programs in 2003 and 2004 are expected to include:

Sectors of operation:
• Agriculture and food production
• Infrastructure rehabilitation
• Health care (nutrition)

South Kivu Food Security program

This USAID/OFDA operation is funded by a $1.5 million grant and includes the following
interventions:
• Seed and tool distributions: FH is distributing seeds and tools to 23,000 families in
Shabunda, Kamituga, Kalehe, Bunyakiri, Kabare and Walungu.
• Agricultural extension: FH has updated the skills of 30 government extension agents
who had been trained before the outbreak of the most recent wave of violence. In
addition to agricultural training the agents have received instruction in disaster

InterAction Member Activity Report for 66

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 preparedness. Those agents will now train and provide technical support to 10,000
farmers.
• Seed fairs: FH organized seed fairs benefiting 8,000 families, to distribute staple seeds
and tools to displaced and returning families.
• Fishery rehabilitation: FH will assist local residents in rehabilitating 30 fishery
production centers. Projects include rebuilding fishponds, technical assistance to
communities and individual households, and capacity building to the government
agency responsible for fisheries.
• Health/malnutrition: 1,000 mothers of malnourished children have been trained in
vegetable production at nutrition centers run by partner INGOs. The mothers also
received seed packets and tools.

Operation Kambelembele
This project, funded by a $1 million grant from USAID/OFDA, will enable reconstruction
of 500 km of railroad from Kindu (Manema Province) to Ngwena (Katanga Province).
Additiona lly, the project is slated to reconstruct a 300-meter railway bridge in Katanga
Province. Reestablishment of the railway system will improve food security by allowing
greater access to markets.

Cooperative efforts
Food for the Hungry is the lead agency on the railroad rehabilitation project in the eastern
Congo. The project is funded by USAID / OFDA, which has sub-granted portions to other
international NGOs and working closely with these agencies to oversee and supervise
work for completing the rail system rehabilitation by May 2004. International partners on
this project include: CARE international, Concern Worldwide and Catholic Relief
Services/Caritas. Along with Food for the Hungry, these three partners will oversee work
on the ground along the five hundred kilometers of railroad track.

Additionally, the SNCC, (the Congolese National Railroad Agency) will serve as technical
advisor, and will provide certification of the completed project.

Finally, negotiations are underway on developing a partnership with MONUC, the United
Nations military-observer presence in the DRC. We are looking to MNUC to provide
support in telecommunications, logistics and protection in regions still under the control of
rebel forces, to de-mine in areas where mines are a concern.

Special concerns
Food for the Hungry is taking precautions to address potential problems. Given the fact
the war is "over" and there is now a transitional government, there are still armed groups
that have not fully accepted the disarming and demilitarization elements in the transition
agreement. Therefore, security continues to be a very big concern.

Additionally, Food for the Hungry is working with UNOCHA to ensure that all local,
regional and national authorities are aware and agree in principle to the project. More
specifically, that they will offer support and make all efforts to encourage local populations
to be receptive to the project, allowing the project to advance without hurdles.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 67
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Finally, as mentioned above, some of the mines used during the war are located along the
area the railroad runs. In efforts with MONUC, Food for the Hungry is trying to take as
many precautions as possible to avoid injury as works progresses along the railroad track.

The work itself is not easy. The majority of the regions where the tracks run are isolated
and difficult to penetrate due to years of non- use, neglect and forest overgrowth. The track
also experienced pillage of parts and materials by local populations that were in distress or
from military persons in search of a living. For example, these populations used railroad
wood for fire and construction purposes and railroad metal for household and commercial
needs.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 68

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Heifer International

US Contact Field Contact

Libby Frith Rwanda
Program Officer – East Africa Gerald Katusabe
1015 Louisiana St. Deputy Country Director
Little Rock, AR 72202 Concord Bldg Kacyiru
Tel: 501-907-4936 Kacyiru Branch B.P. 4785 Kigali
Email: Libby.frith@heifer.org Tel: 250 510525
Email: heifer@rwanda1.com

Uganda
Bernard Muyeya
Plot 1 Kitante Rd.
Nakasero
P.O. Box 28491
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 256-41-231828

Introduction to Heifer International

The mission of Heifer International is to work to end hunger, and poverty, and to care for
the earth.

Heifer International in Rwanda

Heifer Project Rwanda is working toward increasing milk production where there is a high
demand, improving household income leading to better nutrition, creating employment
within the community, and improving the environment by using modern technique through
community development.

Projects
Heifer International Rwanda has implemented a three-year small-scale dairy development
project in Rwanda, initially in Byumba and Ruhengeri Provinces since 2000 with support
from the USAID Mission to Rwanda. The program will soon be extending to the rural
communities surrounding Kigali. Since its development the availability of milk has
improved and there is growing community involvement in productive economic activities.
Utilization of limited land resources has improved as a result of HPI farmer training.

The project has added the other tangible benefits of encouraging peace, unity and
reconciliation, thus creating a demand for a similar project in the adjacent and neighboring
communities.

USAID and Heifer Matching Grants are providing the funding for these projects and have
been supportive of the community since the establishment of the country program. Heifer
International Rwanda has a close relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal
Resources and Forestry, as well as the Ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs

InterAction Member Activity Report for 69

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
office. Their support provides farmer groups with more opportunity for private sector
participation to achieve improved income and savings.

Heifer International in Uganda

Heifer Project Uganda gives priority to funding projects that provide support toward
agriculture and food production, business development, cooperatives and credit, education/
training, gender issues/women in development, and rural development.

Projects
Heifer International has had an uninterrupted presence in Uganda since 1982. At the
request of the Church of Uganda, Heifer International began its program with one project
providing needy families in the Gulu District with improved dairy cattle. The primary
mission of the organization was to increase household nutritional status and income. From
that initial start, Heifer International Uganda has expanded into 24 districts. Managing 36
projects, the program has expanded to include dairy goats, meat goats, bee keeping, and
rabbit production, although dairy cattle remain the program’s primary livestock focus. In
addition to improved nutrition and income focus, the program now has a well-developed
agroecology focus emphasizing integrated organic farming techniques and biogas cooking
and lighting.

In the 1990s, the program began receiving a succession of grants through the local USAID
mission. These additional funds enabled the program to accelerate its growth and establish
a variety of services including artificial insemination, acquisition of veterinary drugs
available at a nominal fee to farmers, establishment of loan programs for farmers for
biogas construction, and the establishment of milk collection centers equipped with
cooling tanks.

The program partners with farmers associations, women’s self- help groups, local religious
institutions, government agencies, and local and international organizations to support its
projects. To date, an estimated 4,250 families have received direct benefits from Heifer
International Uganda efforts.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 70

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.

US Contacts Field Contact

Vickie Johnson Please contact home office.
Communications Manager
Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.
P.O. Box 429
New Windsor, MD 21776
Tel: 410-635-8720
Fax: 410-635-8726
Email: vickiejohnson@interchurch.org
General Email: imainfo@interchurch.org
Web: www.interchurch.org

Introduction to Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.

Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. (IMA) provides essential medical products and
services for overseas emergency, health and development programs that serve the poor
without regard to ethnicity, creed, color, gender, national origin, or political or religious
affiliation. As an association of twelve U.S. Protestant relief and development agencies,
IMA works through a broad faith network to administer its programs overseas. IMA also
works collaboratively with governmental, nongovernmental and corporate partners,
provides technical assistance and management oversight, and acts as a liaison between
international partners and grassroots church-based organizations.

Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. in the DRC

Health Care Development
IMA serves as the U.S. partner in a multi- million dollar health development project,
SANRU III, for which the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC—the Protestant Church of
Congo) serves as the in-country implementing partner. USAID is the primary funder, with
IMA’s Member agencies, U.S. faith communities, and corporate donors providing
additional support through human and material resources and cash funding.

SANRU III is a re-establishment of the SANRU I and II health development projects

begun in the 1980s, a bilateral health program that was managed by ECC on behalf of the
Ministry of Health to provide development assistance to 1/3 of the health zones throughout
the country. SANRU III, launched in 2001, is designed to strengthen the capacity of 60
health zones managed by non- governmental organizations throughout the country for
primary health care interventions and health zone support systems.

Through the SANRU structure, the ECC has added support services in 11 additional health
zones in collaboration with and resources from the Ministry of Health and the World Bank
through its Emergency Multisector Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project.

The ECC is responsible for providing preventative health care interventions that are
currently focused on the primary causes of mortality, routine immunization services,

InterAction Member Activity Report for 71

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
HIV/AIDS and STIs, malaria, control of diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infection,
nutrition, water and sanitation, and re-emerging diseases such as TB, among other
interventions.

ECC interventions at the health zone level include support in planning and management,
training and supervision; supply line and cost recovery, infrastructure rehabilitation and
equipment; and information and surveillance systems. Additionally, ECC serves as liaison
with national programs and the Ministry of Health.

IMA is responsible for grant management, external procurements and general

backstopping from the U.S., as well as providing long- and short-term technical assistance
to the ECC for the project planning and management.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 72

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 International Medical Corps

US Contacts Field Contact

Rabih Torbay Burundi
Vice President of International Relief and Sonja van Osch
Development Country Director
International Medical Corps International Medical Corps
1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 300 PO Box 1141
Santa Monica, CA 90404-1950 USA Boulevard Uprona, no 111, Rohero 1,
Tel: 310-826-7800 Bujumbura, Burundi
Fax: 310-442-6622 Tel: 257 218265
Email: rtorbay@imcworldwide.org Fax: 257 218267
Web: www.imcworldwide.org Email: osch@usan-bu.net

DRC
Sheryl Martin
Program Director
International Medical Corps
41 Avenue Kabare
Muhumba / Bukavu DRC
Tel: 250 08637136
Email: imcpro@kivu-online.com

Uganda
Henk Bruyn
Country Director
International Medical Corps
Plot 56 Ntinda II Road
NAGURU
Kampala, Uganda
Postal Address:
P.O. Box 39
NTINDA
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 256 007 222 800
Email: hbruyn@imcworldwide.org

Introduction to International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization
dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and medical
relief programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer U.S. doctors and nurses, IMC is a
private, nonpolitical, non-sectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of
life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas
worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance
to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency

InterAction Member Activity Report for 73

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
situations, IMC rehabilitates devastated heath care systems and helps bring them back to
self-reliance.

International Medical Corps in the Great Lakes

IMC has projects in Burundi, DRC, and Uganda in the following areas:
• Disaster and Emergency Relief
• Education/Training
• Gender Issues/Women in Development
• Health Care
• Nutrition/Food and Water Distribution
• Refugee and Migration Services

International Medical Corps in Burundi

IMC has worked in Burundi since 1995 to provide immunization, water and sanitation,
distribution of food to the malnourished, and preventative and curative care. IMC's current
programs are based in the Muyinga, Kirundo, Rutana, and Muramvya provinces. IMC
operates therapeutic and supplementary feeding centers in health facilities in all four
provinces, where drought and insecurity have exacerbated malnutrition. IMC provides
medically- supervised therapeutic feeding to the severely malnourished (primarily children)
in Muyinga, Kirundo, and Rutana provinces, while beneficiaries and caretakers at these
therapeutic feeding centers (TFCs) receive health, nutrition, and hygiene educatio n six
times a week. IMC’s 39 supplementary feeding centers (SFCs) in Muyinga, Kirundo, and
Rutana together see more than 30,000 admissions per year. IMC has planted demonstration
gardens adjacent to its TFCs and SFCs in order to strengthen household agricultural
practices and to improve the quality and quantity of fruits and vegetables available to IMC
beneficiaries.

In all four provinces, IMC also operates a malaria program, offering treatment, insecticide-
treated bed nets, and health education.

IMC is also training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and community health educators to
provide information on nutrition, sanitation, and prevention of sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV/AIDS.

In order to increase access to health services and improve the quality of care provided in
Burundi’s public health facilities and communities, IMC’s preventative and curative health
interventions build the capacity of local health providers. IMC provides essential
medicines, supplies, and training to multiple health posts, clinics, hospitals and laboratories
in its program areas. IMC provides refresher-training sessions for active IMC-trained
traditional birth attendants who in turn assist in home deliveries, and for community-based
health workers who provide health care to their communities through house-to-house visits
in Muyinga, Kirundo, and Rutana provinces. IMC has trained displaced civilians in transit
camps to identify and help prevent common diseases, and has coordinated mobile clinics
that visit villages in some of the most inaccessible parts of the country.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 74

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
In Muramvya Province, IMC also serves a population of more than 12,000 internally
displaced persons through health centers and mobile clinics, which focus on malaria
surveillance and treatment.

In addition, IMC has begun an emergency preparedness program in the provinces of

Muyinga, Kirundo, Rutana and Muramvya to reduce the incidence and prevalence of
potentially epidemic and communicable diseases among the local population and IDPs.

The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance supports IMC’s health and nutrition, and
emergency preparedness programs and UNICEF supports IMC’s malaria epidemic control
project and its nutrition surveys.

International Medical Corps in the DRC

IMC initiated its first health program in eastern DRC in early 1999, and in June 2002
returned to DRC after receiving a grant from the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance (OFDA) for an emergency health intervention project. IMC implements and
administers emergency health and nutrition activities in Bunyakiri Health Zone, South
Kivu District, where IMC’s primary goal is to reduce malnutrition rates and increase
access to quality primary health care services. IMC is working to improve community
based health services through the training of traditional birth attendants (TBAs),
community based health workers (CBHW), other local health providers, as well as health
committee members. IMC’s operations in DRC are administered through cooperative
memoranda of understanding with BCZS, World Food Program, UNICEF, and FAO.

In Bunyakiri Health Zone, through logistics support and training of key hospital and health
center staff, IMC supports building the capacity of health facilities to provide effective
therapeutic and supplementary feeding services for the severely and moderately
malnourished. IMC also facilitates the integration of nutrition activities into the hospital
and health centers services and grows demonstration gardens adjacent to the feeding
centers for food demonstrations. In addition, IMC provides essential drugs and medical
supplies to health facilities; monitors and assures the rational use of drugs, and trains
hospital and health center staffs.

IMC’s programs also aim to improve community-based health services through training
traditional birth attendants and community-based health workers, reinforcing and
coordinating local health committees, and increasing EPI activities. IMC organizes
measles immunization campaigns and strengthens the capacity in Bunyakiri Health Zone
for emergency preparedness and effective epidemic disease response.

International Medical Corps in Uganda

In response to the drought and acute food shortage in the northern Ugandan districts of
Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader, IMC has implemented an emergency health and nutrition
program to increase access to preventative and curative health services for vulnerable
populations, as well as provide therapeutic and supplementary feeding to malnourished
children. IMC’s program establishes mobile health clinics, trains Traditional Birth

InterAction Member Activity Report for 75

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Attendants, and provides therapeutic and supplementary feeding to moderately and
severely malnourished children under five years of age.

In addition, IMC is the lead agency in a program to establish a prevention and response
system for Sexual Exploitation and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in both Uganda and
Burundi. Recent shifts in refugee populations in both countries led IMC to identify a clear
need for SGBV initiatives. IMC’s programs in Uganda and Burundi are in response to the
lack of adequate reporting mechanisms and structure within refugee populations to
effectively respond to and prevent SGBV. Working with local partners, the programs
establish community-based SGBV advocacy teams, build the capacities of communities to
prevent and respond to SGBV through behavior change communication campaigns and the
strengthening of safety nets and social support networks, establish SGBV community
forums, and develop referral mechanisms.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 76

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 International Rescue Committee

US Contacts Field Contacts

David Sullivan Burundi
Program Manager, Great Lakes Jan Coffey, Country Director
International Rescue Committee Blvd de la Nation (Route Aeroport), Ave.
122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor Bunogera No. 42
New York, NY 10168 PO Box 1540, Bujumbura, Burundi
Tel: 212-551-3058 Tel: 257-21-8240
Email: davids@theirc.org Email: jcoffey@theirc.org

Regional Contact Democratic Republic of the Congo

Michael Despines Werner Vansant, Country Director
Regional Director, Great Lakes 34 Avenue Pumbu, Gombe, Kinshasa, DRC
Life Ministry Building, 2nd Floor Tel: 243-815-146-884
Jabavu Road Email: kincd@theirc.org
Kilimani, Nairobi
Kenya Republic of Congo
Email: michaeld@theirc.org Julie Dargis, Country Director
1 Avenue Foch, Face Cathedrale Centre Ville
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women BP 1410, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
and Children Tel: 242-81-14-65
Matthew Emry Email: julied@theirc.org
Project Manager, Children and Adolescents
Project Rwanda
122 E. 42nd Street, 12th Floor Jean-Claude Desmarais, Acting Country Dir.
New York, NY 10168 Rue Akagera No. 4682, Kigali Town
Tel: 1-212-551-3042; Fax: 1-212-551-3180 Kigali, Rwanda
Email: matthewe@womenscommission.org Tel: 250-516-176
Email: local@rwanda1.com
US Contact for Uganda
Semir Tanovic Tanzania
Program Manager, Horn of Africa Amanya Michael Ebye, Country Director
International Rescue Committee Raha Towers, 2nd Floor
122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor Corner of Bibi Titi Mohammed Street &
New York, NY 10168 Azikiwe Street, PO Box 106048
Tel: 212-551-3069 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Email: semir@theirc.org Tel: 255-22-212-6587
Email: fieldco@irctz.org

Uganda
Kurt Tjossem, Country Director
PO Box 24672
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 256-41-349-217
Email: kurtt@ircuganda.co.ug
InterAction Member Activity Report for 77
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Introduction to the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a non-sectarian, voluntary
organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims
of oppression or violent conflict. The IRC is committed to freedom, human dignity, and
self-reliance. This commitment is reflected in well-planned global emergency relief,
rehabilitation services, resettlement assistance and advocacy for refugees.

IRC in the Great Lakes

The IRC in the Great Lakes seeks to improve the quality of life of its partner and
beneficiary populations by implementing appropriate and context-specific relief,
rehabilitation, and post-conflict programs in Burundi, Republic of Congo, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Each of these countries is
intertwined in a comp licated military, economic, ethnic, and social web. Many of these
countries receive refugees, while also producing refugees.

With country programs in each of the Great Lakes countries, the IRC is one of the few
international agencies with a truly "regional" view of events and the ability to respond with
a range of programs designed for the realities of their host countries. This diversity of
programs provides a rich pool of trained professionals who can be called upon for any
emergency in the region.

IRC in Burundi
The IRC began emergency assistance in 1996 following the first internal displacement of
hundreds of thousands of people. IRC continues to provide emergency assistance to the
displaced while assisting communities recovering from conflict through infrastructure
rehabilitation, environmental health, separated children, and youth programs.
Geographically, IRC is operational in Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Makamba, Muyinga,
Rutana, and Ruyigi Provinces.

Environmental Health:
The IRC aims to reduce the incidence of disease resulting from inadequate environmental
health conditions through a public health program including sanitation, safe water supply,
hygiene promotion, and local capacity building for conflict-affected communities.
During acute emergencies such as large population displacements or cholera outbreaks, the
IRC responds by trucking in potable water. When emergency interventions are no longer
necessary, IRC works with local authorities and communities to rehabilitate or construct
wells, water systems and latrines, while training Community Health Workers to promote
good health and hygiene practices. In 2003, IRC expanded its public health program
through a "roll-back malaria" project in three provinces, distributing insecticide-treated
bed-nets to high-risk groups, such as children under the age of five and pregnant women.

Youth:
The IRC implements an education and psychosocial support program in three provinces,
constructing youth centers, training peer educators on HIV/AIDS, life skills and peace
building. IRC also constructs and rehabilitates school sports facilities, and coordinates
cultural and recreational extracurricular activities for displaced and conflict-affected
InterAction Member Activity Report for 78
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
children. By training parents, teachers, coaches and youth in HIV/AIDS transmission
prevention and conflict resolution, IRC uses sports and culture to increase healthy personal
development and reduce risky sexual behavior and intolerant and violent beliefs.

Separated Children:
IRC assists separated refugee children when they return to their families in Burundi.
Working at refugee transit centers in Makamba, Muyinga and Ruyigi, IRC provides
immediate assistance and temporary placement with foster families or local care
associations. IRC works with local associations, other humanitarian agencies and local
authorities to trace and reunify the families. UNICEF estimates that 2,522 separated
Burundian children currently reside in Tanzanian refugee camps.

Related Disability Study:

With U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention funding, the IRC is conducting a
three-year study to document prevalence of disabilities among Burundi’s war-affected
populations.

IRC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The IRC first began programs in the DRC in November 1996, providing assistance to
Rwandan refugees and the local population. The IRC has since expanded into six
additional provinces. With headquarters in Kinshasa and field offices in Bukavu, Boma,
Kinsangani, Kalemie, Kananga, Kimpese, and Mwenga, IRC is one of the largest
humanitarian actors in the DRC.

IRC has conducted a large-scale mortality survey each of the past three years to measure
the war's impact on civilians. Findings from the most recent survey in September and
October 2002 show that the DRC mortality rate is higher than the United Nations reports
for any country. The crude mortality rate among people surveyed in the eastern part of the
country was 3.5/1000/month; the figure was 2.0/1000/month in the west, indicating a
national mortality rate of 2.4/1000/month—twice the African average and almost twice
what UNICEF reported for 1997, the year before the war began. Based on IRC data, an
estimated 3.3 million people have died as a result of this war. While this estimate could
vary from 3 million to 4.7 million, the conclusion remains the same: this is the most deadly
war ever documented in Africa, indeed the highest war death toll documented in the world
since World War II.

Health Care:
IRC currently implements primary health care interventions in Kabare, Mwenga, and
Nundu Health Zones in South Kivu, Lubunga Health Zone in Orientale Province, Demba
Health Zone in Kasai Occidentale, and Nyunzu and Kabalo Health Zones in Katanga. The
goal is to save lives by increasing access to health care. IRC provides each health center in
these zones with essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment, and technical training
and support. IRC also works closely with local health committees to identify the most
vulnerable persons (widows, orphans, the elderly, the handicapped), to whom we provide
free health care.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 79

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Child Survival:
In Kabare Health Zone, South Kivu, IRC’s five-year USAID- funded Child Survival
Program focuses on preventing deaths from malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition,
and vaccine-preventable diseases among the estimated 29,200 children under 5 and 35,000
women of reproductive age in Kabare.

HIV/AIDS:
IRC is conducting a 12-month blood-screening program in ten of the most affected health
zones in Bas-Congo to ensure safe blood transfusions for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other
diseases. Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, IRC is working at
hospitals to train staff, raise awareness, and ensure use of universal precautions and
provide test kits, building local capacity to conduct laboratory tests and increase
knowledge among local health workers.

Demobilization and Reintegration of Child Soldiers:

With World Bank funding, IRC is researching, designing, and implementing
demobilization and reintegration of former child soldiers in Orientale Province. As part of
a consortium with CARE International, the International Foundation for Education and
Self- Help, UNICEF, the national government and other NGOs, the program will assess and
document the situation of child soldiers and their communities of origin to determine
possibilities for demobilization and reintegration, as a basis for design of a program to help
children leave the armed forces and resume their development within a family and
community environment.

Environmental Health:
The IRC maintains a response team that goes to any site to provide clean water to victims
of the war. IRC water-pumping stations collect and treat water for up to 20,000 people at a
time. The IRC is rehabilitating local water sources and water supply systems to provide
clean water to war- impacted communities and areas where cholera epidemics are common.
The pumping stations address immediate, life saving needs, while our rehabilitation
program looks at addressing longer-term water solutions. For refugee host communities,
the IRC helps reduce the burden by constructing emergency shelter structures and
communal latrines, interventions that help reduce public health risks posed by large
concentrations of displaced persons.

Capacity Building/Gender-Based Violence:

IRC conducts a funding program for local organizations to implement projects for female
victims of sexual and gender-based violence. IRC also provides training and technical
support to agencies to improve their response to emergency needs in areas international
agencies cannot access, and to provide essential medical, counseling and livelihood
programs for rape and sexual violence victims.

Refugee Assistance:
IRC programs for 13,000 Angolan refugees in camps in the Bas-Congo, south of Kinshasa,
include health, shelter, water and sanitation, education, self- reliance, social services,

InterAction Member Activity Report for 80

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
support to extremely vulnerable refugees, and food and non- food distributions. Due to the
Angola peace accords, IRC is preparing these populations to return home during 2004.

Street Children:
IRC Congo Brazzaville conducts a program for the care of an estimated 1,500 street
children, and their tracing and reunification with their families.

Congolese and Rwandan Refugees in the Republic of Congo

IRC responded to successive civil wars in the Republic of Congo in 1997 and 1998, as well
as the mass influx of refugees from neighboring DRC in 2000. The IRC head office is in
Brazzaville, with operational bases in Boko, Pointe-Noire and Betou. The IRC works
closely with relevant government ministries, United Nations agencies and local non-
governmental organizations. Previous IRC programs include an innovative collaboration
with IRC in Rwanda to trace and reunite children separated from their families who fled to
Brazzaville from Rwanda. The IRC also assisted the health ministry rehabilitating health
centers in Dolisie, and combating sexual and gender-based violence in Brazzaville.

Health Care:
IRC is implementing a comprehensive primary health care program in the Kinkala-Boko
health district of the Pool Region, devastated by civil war. Program activities include
rehabilitation of health centers, essential drugs, trainings to build the capacity of Ministry
of Health staff, and public health outreach education campaigns.

Refugee Assistance:
IRC programs for approximately 25,000 refugees from DRC in Betou District include
primary health care, water and sanitation, education, community services, and programs
addressing sexual and gender-based violence.

Street Children:
The IRC operates two daytime counseling and education centers for children living on the
streets of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Center activities prepare children for reunification
with families and reintegration into the community through schooling and apprenticeships.

International Rescue Committee in Rwanda

The IRC began work in Rwanda immediately following the genocide and focused on
emergency and relief operations. As Rwanda stabilized, the IRC devoted its attention to
restoring the country's physical infrastructure. IRC programs now focus on restoring trust,
civil society and sustainable economic growth in devastated communities. We help
community-based organizations rebuild the physical, social, political and economic
institutions devastated in the war. The IRC assists the government and communities to
design procedures to prevent renewed conflict, and lay foundations for lasting peace and
development. The IRC's Rwanda headquarters are located in Kigali, with field offices in
the Kibungo, Gisneyi, Cyangugu, Gitarama and Ruhengeri provinces.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 81

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Decentralization and Good Governance:
When people have a personal stake in their community's economic, social and political
development, the likelihood of further conflict is diminished. The Decentralization and
Good Governance program operates on this principle and promotes sustainable
development, social cohesion, and civil society. New initiatives under the current programs
include civic education, community radio, fiscal decentralization, and strengthening the
capacity of women, and vulnerable youth and children for participation and leadership.

Unity and Reconciliation:

One step toward coping with the trauma of the recent past has been formation of the
Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation Commission with a mission to promote peace,
security, and respect for human rights. The IRC supports the effort through direct
involvement in a monitoring team and by helping the commission obtain financial support.

Vulnerable Children and Youth:

An estimated 250,000 children were orphaned or separated from their families during the
1994 genocide. The Vulnerable Children Program targets the most difficult "untraceable"
and "implacable" unaccompanied children currently living in centers or on the street.
While the program strives to reunite every child with his or her family, the IRC finds foster
parents helps adolescents live on their own when this is not possible. The IRC is working
to help street children find homes and towards preventing at risk children from ending up
on the streets.

Health Care/Child Survival:

The Child Survival Program works with the Rwandan government to reduce child and
maternal mortality and to improve the health and nutritional status of children. The IRC
built a network of traditional birth attendants trained in healthy and safe birthing practices
and pre- and post-natal care. The IRC trains community members to monitor and
administer nutrition and malaria programs. The program targets more than half a million
people in Kibungo Province, placing particula r emphasis on 120,000 children under five
and 130,000 women of childbearing age.

Gender-Based Violence:
The IRC has initiated a gender-based violence prevention program that works with the
government and community-based institutions to redress and preve nt acts of sexual and
domestic violence through counseling, sensitization, and awareness campaigns. Particular
focus is being given to prepare communities for the "gacaca" process during which sexual
crimes will be tried; the program is working with "gacaca" judges and Rwandan police to
ensure women's security and confidentiality.

HIV/AIDS:
With more than one in ten Rwandans infected with HIV or AIDS, the IRC has integrated
HIV/AIDS education into all programs. Because youth are particularly at risk, our
prevention awareness campaigns target this population.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 82

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Burundian, Congolese, and Rwandan Refugees in Tanzania
The International Rescue Committee began operations in Tanzania in 1993 in response to a
large influx of refugees from Burundi. Thousands of refugees from Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) followed. The IRC implements programs for
refugees in health, water, sanitation, camp management and social services, as well as
programs for refugee-affected areas in Western Tanzania.

Health Care:
The IRC runs a hospital and four health outposts in three camps served by IRC in Kibondo
District. Our health services target a total population of over 130,000 Burundian refugees,
providing a full range of health and nutritional services at the hospital and community
level, including maternal and child health care, clinical training for local health care
workers, immunization services and malaria prevention, distribution of pharmaceutical
supplies, and health education. Medical and nutritional screening and medical services are
also provided in Kigoma District for newly arriving refugees.

Gender-Based Violence:
The IRC assists sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) survivors with medical and
counseling services, community awareness campaigns, and strengthening community
assistance to survivors. Men's discussion groups and committees have formed to encourage
male involvement in violence prevention and support for survivors.

Youth:
The IRC works in three refugee camps in Kibondo district to improve the health and social
well being of over 26,000 adolescent refugees. IRC has established adolescent
reproductive health clinics in each camp and runs youth centers that provide educational,
vocational and recreational activities in coordination with UNHCR and other NGOs.
Youth center staff and adolescent peer educators provide hygiene education and preventive
health information. A youth radio program in coordination with community station Radio
Kwizera is being launched, to be run by the adolescents, with information on topics such as
sexual and reproductive health issues, youth rights and adolescent responsibilities, along
with music and entertainment.

Refugee-Affected Areas:
The IRC has implemented a variety of activities under its Refugee Affected Areas program
in the Kigoma region, which has long hosted refugees. The IRC provides support and
services for Kibondo District Hospital, the main hospital for the local population and a
major referral center for refugees. The IRC focuses on reproductive health and emergency
obstetrics, providing experienced medical staff, training, drugs and equipment. In 2001, the
IRC rehabilitated the hospital's water system, and in 2002 renovated the maternity ward.
IRC also works with local partners in Kigoma Region on infrastructure improvement and
capacity building projects, providing equipment to health facilities, construction of two
primary schools, construction of government health offices, support to two youth centres,
and revitalization of markets in three villages.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 83

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
International Rescue Committee in Uganda
IRC began working in Kitgum and Pader Districts in 1998 in response to the needs of
children who escaped from the Lord’s Resistance Army. In 2002, IRC opened offices in
Lira and Masindi, following LRA attacks on an IRC- managed refugee camp in Pader and
the flight of over 20,000 Sudanese refugees from Pader through Lira to Masindi. In 2003,
IRC opened an office in Nakapiripirit, to implement the IRC-led CRD consortium in
Karamoja. IRC Uganda strives to meet immediate needs of internally displaced people and
refugees, while promoting opportunities for refugees and war-affected communities to
enhance their livelihoods and self- sufficiency.

Kiryandongo:
In addition to internal displacement and underdevelopment, Acholiland and neighboring
districts strain under an estimated 200,000 Sudanese refugees. IRC implements the
following sectors in Kiryandongo:

Environmental Health:
To increase safe and adequate water supply through access to useable and effective
sanitation facilities, and to contribute to elimination of conditions conducive to an
epidemic of water and excreta related diseases.

Health Care:
Curative health services are provided through three clinics, two providing outpatient
services only and the third an inpatient service with a forty-bed capacity. Preventive health
services are mainly provided through 30 community health workers involved in health
education, hygiene promotion, community mobilization, condom distribution and follow-
up of discharged patients. Reproductive health services include antenatal and intrapartum
care, support to traditional birth attendants, family planning, management of sexually
transmitted infections and health education. The clinic services are integrated into the
District Health Service and receive some support in terms of drugs, vaccines and
supervision from the District.

Gender Based Violence:

The primary clients are refugee and host population women of reproductive age. To ensure
the protection, confidentiality and dignity of the survivor, while availing her with medical,
psychological, social and emotional support, the program uses participatory methods and
awareness raising campaigns.

Environmental Health, Kitgum, Lira and Pader Districts:

The IRC’s emergency water and sanitation program for internally displaced people in
Kitgum, Lira and Pader Districts, Northern Uganda covers all internally displaced camps
in the Kitgum and Pader and four sub-counties in Lira District. The goal is to improve the
standard of living in Kitgum, Pader and Lira Districts following displacement caused by
LRA attacks. The main objectives of this program are to increase safe and adequate water
supply to 330,857 IDPs in Northern Uganda, and to eliminate conditions conducive to an
epidemic of water and excreta related diseases through increased access to useable and
effective sanitation facilities.
InterAction Member Activity Report for 84
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Psycho-Social Program, Kitgum:
Established in 1998 in response to complex needs of war-affected communities, the
program has since expanded to work with all members of affected communities, with a
focus on vulnerable children and adolescents. Current and ongoing activities include:
support to two local NGOs (Kitgum Concerned Women Association - KICWA, and
Concerned Parents Association - CPA) in their running of reception and reintegration
centers for formerly abducted children and adult returnees, educational support for
children, skills training and income generation projects for vulnerable families and groups,
promotion of cultural and recreational activities and culturally appropriate cleansing
rituals, advocacy and emergency response.

Community Resilience and Dialogue (CRD), Northern Uganda:

As the lead member of a six-agency consortium, IRC is implementing a program in sixteen
districts, with national and local NGOs, to provide psychosocial rehabilitation, conflict
resolution, and HIV/AIDS services to victims of conflict. This includes formerly abducted
children, former combatants, orphans and vulnerable children, victims of torture, youth and
elder networks, child-headed households, young mothers, and persons affected by and
living with HIV/AIDS. The consortium includes Associazione Volontari per il Servizio
Internazionale, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, International Rescue Committee, Save the
Children Denmark and Save the Children UK.

Reducing Adolescent and Child Labor Through Education:

In alliance with Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale, IRC implements a
program to reduce child labor, improve community awareness and attitudes toward
educational and developmental needs of children, enrich the educational environment for
children at risk of economic exploitation by focusing on augmenting the number and skills
of teachers, and ensure access to children at risk of exploitation through material support,
transitional and non- formal education programs, and family poverty reduction.

The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (WCRWC)

The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (WCRWC) works to
improve the lives and defend the rights of refugee and internally displaced women,
children and adolescents.
• We advocate for their inclusion and participation in programs of humanitarian
assistance and protection.
• We provide technical expertise and policy advice to donors and organizations that work
with refugees and the displaced.
• We make recommendations to policy makers based on rigorous research and
information gathered on fact-finding missions.
• We join with refugee women, children and adolescents to ensure that their voices are
heard from the community level to the highest councils of governments and
international organizations.
• We do this in the conviction that their empowerment is the surest route to the greater
well being of all forcibly displaced people.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 85

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is an independent affiliate of
the International Rescue Committee <http://www.theirc.org>. The Commission was
founded in 1989.

WCRWC in the Great Lakes

In 1999, the Women’s Commission’s Children and Adolescents Project launched an
international campaign to increase services and protection to adolescents affected by armed
conflict, promoting their capacities and participation in decision- making and constructive
action. We helped adolescents and youth conduct adolescent-led research and follow-up
advocacy in the war-torn region of northern Uganda, calling on decision- makers to make
specific policy and program changes to address the concerns young people raised. The
Women's Commission continues to advocate with young people and others in the region
for a peaceful settlement to the conflict in northern Uganda and humanitarian assistance
and protection for the civilian population. Support for young people’s education and
protection have been top priorities. We also provide technical assistance to key
stakeholders supporting the rights and capacities of children, adolescents and youth in
appropriate programs and policies.

Program Sectors (northern Uganda):

• Education/training
• Gender Issues
• Health care
• Human rights

ORACLE - Opportunities for Reducing Adolescent and Child Labor through Education:
As part of our advocacy work with young people in northern Uganda, the Women’s
Commission has worked with international NGOs to secure funding from the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL) for a comprehensive education program for adolescents. The
following is a description of the ORACLE project, which is being newly undertaken in
northern Uganda. We will continue to assist the project’s implementing agencies with
technical advice, particularly on the monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and
participatory approaches.

The Opportunities for Reducing Adolescent and Child Labor through Education
(ORACLE) project has been launched this mo nth in northern Uganda, as administered by
the International Rescue Committee and implemented with a range of partners, including
Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale. The DOL’s decision to fund
ORACLE is a strong victory for education in emergencies. ORACLE will work to prevent
and eliminate child soldiering as a worst form of child labor in northern Uganda by means
of improving the access to quality education. Specifically, ORACLE will address the level
of community awareness of and attitudes toward the educational and developmental needs
of children. Types of programs include reception and reintegration of formerly abducted
children, psychosocial assistance, formal and non- formal education, curative and
preventive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, income generating activities, and water and
sanitation. ORACLE will involve many local partners, including through the Acholi
Education Initiative (AEI), which seeks to increase secondary school sponsorships. It is
InterAction Member Activity Report for 86
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
anticipated that the strategies deve loped and implemented in ORACLE can be replicated
elsewhere in the future.

Field-based Advocacy with Adolescents and Youth for Implementing Lessons Learned:
Through direct partnership with adolescents and youth groups, and the American Jewish
World Service, the Women’s Commission will continue to support young people’s
capacity to monitor and document rights issues and to advocate for and implement
programs on their own behalf in northern Uganda. Beginning this fall, we will specifically
provide young people and some of their organizations in northern Uganda with the
technical support, resources and encouragement needed to develop and implement
advocacy plans and follow-up programs to address adolescent and youth issues. This work
will follow up on advocacy and program actions already taken as a result of our
participatory study previously conducted with adolescents in the region. The work will also
support constructive relationships between youth groups and community adults, as well as
with key operationa l stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, nongovernmental
organizations and government departments. It will inform global advocacy efforts to
expand practical knowledge and use of rights-based approaches to create systemic change
that will improve the well being of refugee adolescents and youth.

Friends of the War-Affected Children of northern Uganda:

The Women’s Commission convenes a group of NGOs and individuals concerned about
the lives of young people in northern Uganda. Through e-mail and telephone conversations
the Friends of the War-Affected Children of northern Uganda share information and
coordinate advocacy to promote the release of abducted children and promote peace in the
region. We collaborate to raise awareness of the humanitarian problems facing the local
and refugee populations in the north, and offer specific solutions to governments, the
United Nations, NGOs and community members for protecting young people in the north.
Anyone interested in participating in the friends’ group discussions should contact
Matthew Emry at matthewe@womenscommission.org

Special concerns:
The Women’s Commission continues to urge governments to take action to achieve a
peaceful solution to the conflict in northern Uganda and provide much needed
humanitarian assistance and protection to young people.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 87

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Lutheran World Relief

US Contact Field Contact

General Inquiries: East Africa Regional Office
Mike Merker Asenath Omwega,
Program Assistant for Humanitarian Regional Representative
Response Lutheran World Relief
700 Light Street PO Box 66220
Baltimore, MD 21230 Nairobi, Kenya
Email: mmerker@lwr.org Tel: (254) 2 447611
Fax: (254) 2 445838
Media Inquiries: Email: info@lwr-earo.or
Jonathan Frerichs
Communication Director
Tel: 410-230-2802
Email: mmerker@lwr.org

Introduction to Lutheran World Relief

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) works with partners in 50 countries to help people grow
food, improve health, strengthen communities, end conflict, build livelihoods, and recover
from disasters.

Lutheran World Relief in the Great Lakes

LWR Africa has identified as its target population impoverished rural communities
vulnerable to the challenges of natural and man-made disasters. These include but are not
limited to socially marginalized communities, those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS,
those suffering from chronic food insecurity, and those affected by floods, conflict and
drought.

Lutheran World Relief in Uganda

Vocational Training for Orphans
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) works with the Kiteredde Vocational Institute (KVI) in
southeastern Uganda in the Rakai District, to provid e vocational training for 600-orphaned
children. Civil strife and the continuing HIV/AIDS pandemic have left more than 50,000
orphans, one in ten of the local population. The government is unable to bear the cost of
caring for these children and the vocational institute trains orphans and other deprived
youth in carpentry, construction, agriculture, tailoring, typing and cooking. LWR’s
support allows the institute’s teachers to acquire professional qualifications to permit KVI
to receive government subsidies and also to enable to institute to meet 95% of its costs by
intensifying livestock and crop production.

Focus:
• Education/Training
• Agriculture and Food Production

InterAction Member Activity Report for 88

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Building Sustainable Community Based Support for HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable
Children
LWR’s partner is the African Medical and Research Foundation which will strengthen and
support 17 parish orphan committees to manage the orphan support program in the
Butuntumula sub-county of Uganda. A total of 1,130 orphans will benefit from the
program to ensure access to primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational training.
Credit and enterprise assistance to 113 orphans will allow them to start income generating
activities. Recognizing the importance of ensuring a lasting effect from the project, parent
teacher associations and 950 community leaders will be sensitized to child needs, rights,
and succession laws.

Focus:
• Education/Training
• Orphans

Wakiso Agro-Forestry
In Wakiso County located in central Uganda, LWR’s partner Voluntary Action for
Development (VAD) equips farmers with skills in sustainable farming and livestock
production to increase agricultural yields and revenues. Over 4,500 people benefit directly
from this project including over 2,500 women and girls. VAD also promotes proper use
and management of natural resources implementing water and soil conservation techniques
in their training and the use of energy-saving cooking stoves to reduce encroachment on
the trees.

Focus:
• Agriculture and Food Production
• Education / Training

Mobilizing Churches to Respond to HIV/AIDS

LWR’s partner, Fare Ministries, a Christian interdenominational NGO in Uganda, works
with 21 churches and 50 community groups to promote effective home-based care services
and income generating activities to benefit people living with HIV/AIDS. The project
benefits 306 people (199 women) and promotes networking among faith-based
organizations in the region, extending the benefits of individual organizations through
collaborative efforts.

Focus:
• Health Care
• Business Development, Cooperatives and Credit

Resettlement and Integration of Refugees

LWR has partnered with LWF-Uganda since 1999 to support refugees in the Adjumani
District of northern Uganda. In 2002, Adjumani was host to over 60,000 refugees from
Sudan, which has been in a civil war since 1983. The goal of the program is two- fold:

InterAction Member Activity Report for 89

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
move refugees towards self-sufficiency and improve district administration capacity to
deliver services equitably to host and refugee population alike.

Focus:
• Refugee and Migration Services
• Education/Training

InterAction Member Activity Report for 90

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Refugees International

US Contact Field Contact

Joel Charny Please contact home office.
Vice President for Policy
Refugees International
1705 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-828-0110
Email: joel@refintl.org

Cliff Bernath
Dir., Conflict Prevention and Resolution
Refugees International
1705 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-828-0110
Email: cliff@refintl.org

Introduction to Refugees International

Founded in 1979, Refugees International generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and
protection for displaced people around the world and works to end the conditions that
create displacement. RI advocates travel to the scene of humanitarian emergencies, take a
reading of the situation at the ground level, and brings its insights and recommendations to
the attention of aid officials, the media, and the public. Its objective is to generate timely
humanitarian action to save lives, reduce human misery and protect vulnerable people.
RI’s advocacy generates increases in resources and policy changes by governments and
UN agencies that improve conditions for refugees and displaced people. RI does not
accept any government or UN funding.

Refugees International in DR Congo

RI has advocated in the war-torn Great Lakes region consistently since the Rwandan
genocide in early 1994. The current humanitarian crisis in the Congo has its beginnings in
that same war. RI has repeatedly called for increased attention, assistance and a
regionalized response to the crises in this region, frequently visiting Eastern Congo along
with Rwanda and Burundi, and the refugee camps in Western Tanzania. In December
2000, RI called for donors to make greater efforts to provide humanitarian aid to needy
Congolese by utilizing an extensive network of Congolese civil society and NGOs. In
2001, RI identified a food shortage for Congolese and Burundian refugees in Tanzania
because of insufficient donor contributions. It published a bulletin on child soldiers in the
Congo, bringing to light the continuing recruitment and use of child soldiers, highlighted
by specific stories of children recruited by armies operating there. RI testified on this
before Congress, and advocated with international NGOs who demobilize child soldiers to
demobilize girls as well as boys.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 91

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
In January 2002, RI was on the scene when a well-publicized volcanic eruption destroyed
one half of the city of Goma. RI pointed out that as destructive as the volcano was, the
devastation of its impact paled in comparison to the consequences of the ongoing conflict
in the region: that the war, a human disaster of unimaginable proportions, is the equivalent
of daily volcanic eruptions. RI also continued our reporting on the plight of children
affected by the war, including the growing population of street children in urban areas of
the Congo. RI testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Sub-Committee
on Africa about these issues.

For the past two years, in addition to advocating on humanitarian issues, RI has been
studying and reporting on the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) as part of
an overall study of ways to improve peacekeeping operations to better enable them to
shorten or prevent armed conflicts that are the cause of most of the world’s 35 million
refugees and displaced persons. In 2002, RI advocated for a stronger MONUC mandate
and an increase in manpower. RI’s second report on MONUC was published in September
2003. The latter report was based on a field mission to the conflict-ridden Ituri District of
northeastern Congo in August.

Additional Work in the Great Lakes region

In addition to work on the DRC, RI also conducts humanitarian assessment missions to
surrounding countries. The agency is especially concerned about the situation in Burundi,
where a ceasefire between the government and rebel groups has proven elusive, and there
is a possibility that Burundian refugees will be forced back from Tanzania prematurely. RI
assessed the situation for Burundian refugees in Tanzania in May 2003.

RI has also focused on the problem of internal displacement in Uganda as a result of the
on-going conflict in the north between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army,
which uses a strategy of kidnapping children to reinforce their ranks. More than one
million Ugandans are displaced and the response of the international community has been
inadequate considering the scope of the problem. RI just completed an assessment mission
to Uganda in October 2003.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 92

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Save the Children

US Contact Field Contact

David Bourns Catherine Kennedy
Africa Area Operations Manager Field Office Director
203-221-4086 Location:
Email: dbourns@savechildren.org Save the Children
Plot 3,Block 262
Kampala, Uganda
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 26345
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 011-256-41) 510-582
Fax: (011-256-41) 510-584
Email: ckennedy@savechildren.co.ug

Introduction to Save the Children

Save the Children creates real and lasting change in the lives of children in need in the U.S.
and in over 43 countries around the world.

Save the Children in Uganda

The highest- level goal of the Uganda Field Office (UFO) is to empower disadvantaged
children and their families to achieve dignity and improved quality of life.

In line with Save the Children’s Breakthroughs for Children strategy, the office works in
the High Impact Initiatives areas of Every Mother/Every Child and children in
Emergencies and Crisis. In FY03, UFO has project activities in primary education (both
community-based and formal), adult literacy, school feeding, reproductive health and
HIV/AIDS. For FY04, UFO is adding food security, agriculture, maternal and child health
and school health and nutrition.

The strategic objectives for this strategic planning period for the next 3 years are:

1. Increase access to high quality basic education for marginalized children and adults
(especially girls and women).
2. Increase access to high quality reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services for
vulnerable groups (especially young girls).
3. Provide maternal child health interventions for vulnerable groups.
4. Provide support to vulnerable households affected by HIV/AIDS (particularly child
and elderly- headed households).
5. Promote food security for vulnerable pastoralists, fishing and agricultural families
through various livelihood improvement initiatives.
6. Scale up management and systems and administration to support the program
expansion

These objectives also fall within the following two Africa regional priorities:
InterAction Member Activity Report for 93
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 1. Enhance the food security of disadvantaged communities with particular emphasis
on women and children.
2. Improve children and women’s access to basic social services and protection.

Throughout its work in the above programs, the office is also making an impact in
development at the country-level. Experience-based advocacy continues to be an
important feature of UFO. Over the last four years UFO has established strong programs
at the community level, built capacity of district partners, and advocated at national level
on education and reproductive health issues.

In FY03, UFO was on the task force to develop the Policy for Education for the
Disadvantaged. In FY04, UFO will be working to ensure this policy is rolled out
meaningfully. UFO will continue in its capacity as a member of the Steering Committee
of FENU (Forum for Education NGOs in Uganda) where lobbying on a variety of issues is
initiated. In FY03, SC jointly with CARE and the Ministry of Health funded and
organized the first national symposium on Reproductive Health, which included a
presentation by SC on Partnership Defined quality. As a result, UFO was invited to join
the national Reproductive Health Task Force, and will be participating in this in FY04.
UFO will participate in other national policy platforms and task forces when relevant to
our strategic objectives.

Program Quality:
Child Centeredness: CHANCE and school feeding target children directly, and RH targets
them indirectly by ensuring healthier, more educated mothers.

SC takes gender very seriously. In all its programs, females have at least constituted 50%
of the beneficiaries. This includes supervisory and management levels within community
volunteer staffing. Within SC staffing, the same rules applied, with women representing at
least 50% at all levels, except in ancillary where there are more male guards and drivers.
Gender training is provided to all SC staff above ancillary level, and to community
management and facilitator volunteers. In all baseline studies, gender was always factored
in and the findings were used to inform program planning.

Empowerment: All SC’s programs aim to empower the participants, starting with children.
For example: children decide the school days and school year. The FO recognizes the fact
that children do not live in isolation but rather with their families in a wider society and
hence empowerment has been extended to other society members because the benefits
reach the children. To this effect, teachers are trained in child rights and positive discipline
techniques. SMCs are trained to supervise teachers, and have the power to hire and fire the
teachers. Adult education classes use the REFLECT approach, whose main philosophical
principle is empowerment. All training undertaken by SC uses empowering, participatory
approaches—both men and women are encouraged to step out of their gender-stereotyped
roles. Within the office management structure, participatory management techniques are
emphasized, and information sharing through regular meetings provides a platform for
everybody’s participation and involve ment.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 94

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Policy sustainability: SC has been intensely involved in development of the national
policies for Early Childhood Care and Education, and Education for Disadvantaged
Groups. As we develop our in-country experience in RH, SC will also engage at the
national level in the dialogue to try to ensure greater success in this field.

Scaling up: All of our projects are conceived as models. SC will continuously advocate
with donors and the government of Uganda to have them applied on a wider scale to meet
the proven national- level need.

Measurable Impact: All projects have a baseline, M&E indicators written- in and these are
measured and reported to donors and the HO.

Significant partnerships: The FO’s most significant partners in Uganda have been the
district and local authorities with whom project planning and implementation have been
jointly carried out. The other significant partner is CARE with whom the RH project has
been implemented. The SC Alliance also has provided a very significant partnership most
especially in terms of advocacy and lobbying, and has also provided avenues for
fundraising. The district and community have been involved in almost every stage of the
projects including: planning and implementation. This is evident by the introduction of
Partner Defined Quality (PDQ) technique involving the community as the main
determinants of their own quality. This enhances the communities’ capacity to takeover the
programs when SC eventually phases out.

CARE has continuously provided technical support for the RH project by availing the FO
one of their senior advisors on RH issues. There is a strong bond between the FO and the
NGO Forum in Nakasongola district which is chaired by Save the Children-Uganda. The
forum usually meets monthly to share ideas about lessons learned and discuss general
issues that affect each other’s work. Previously, disagreements over each other methods of
work were very common but dialogue has been used to arrive at amicable agreements.

The partnership with the Alliance members has yielded so much benefit in that regular
meetings have provided a platform for sharing ideas, advocacy and fundraising although
sometimes disagreements have been evident. The challenge in alliance has been
duplication of each other’s work but plans to have a single country office are in advanced
stages and hopefully by 2004 all the 4 Alliance partners in Uganda will be under the same
roof.

Geographic Coverage and Target Population: In FY04, SC-Uganda plans to be directly

operational in four districts within the country: Nakasongola, Luwero, Wakiso and Lira.
Nakasongola District has been the main beneficiary of SC activities since UFO began
operations in 1999. It is two hours north of the capital, Kampala, and the main activities of
its people are pastoralism and crop cultivation, with intense fishing along the shores of
Lake Kyoga. The population is currently estimated at 128,000.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 95

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Luwero District, located south of Nakasongola, will continue to receive SC-Uganda
support within the two predominately pastoralist sub-counties that are very similar in terms
of poverty levels and other social development indicators, low levels of government
services, and economic/livelihood activities (Kinyogogo and Ngoma). Significant
expansion will occur to other sub-counties and in other sectors, particularly CHANCE and
PDQ for education.

Wakiso District, is in turn south of Luwero, surrounds Kampala and borders Lake Victoria.
Nearly half of the total population of 914,111 are dependent upon subsistence agriculture
for their livelihood. Here, to address a primary school completion rate of 32%, UFO plans
to apply to USAID for funding to introduce whole school approach to quality and
CHANCE schools.

Lira District, which is to the north of both Nakasongola and Lake Kyoga, is a semi-arid
and more remote area within Uganda. The population, largely made up of subsistence
farmers, pastoralists, and fishing communities, also includes more than 47,000 persons
displaced by protracted civil conflict in the area. UFO has applied to USDA for additional
funding to introduce SHN to Lira and Nakasongola Districts. A brief summary of planned
activities within each district is as follows:

Program Overview
Save the Children Uganda Field Office (UFO) became operational in 1999, at the request
of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES). Since that time, it has successfully
piloted a range of innovative activities and approaches in education, health and food
security with some of the most disadvantaged children and families in the country.

SO 1: Access to high quality basic education: UFO will continue to support and develop
its flagship non-formal primary education project, CHANCE (Child-centered, alternative,
non- formal, community-based education) in Nakasongola District that supports
marginalized and vulnerable children. There are currently 69 schools and more than 2000
children. UFO will further develop its whole school quality improvement strategy in
neighboring Luwero District, which has so far benefited 35 community schools and 900
children. In FY04, UFO will expand CHANCE to at least two more districts with funding
from USAID. UFO will link the whole school quality improvement strategy with
CHANCE schools and Partnership Defined Quality for Education (PDQE) to develop a
model which will address issues of education access, quality, positive discipline and safety.
This will be piloted in at least one new district with USAID funding.

In Nakasongola, the Adult Literacy project (currently 47 circles, with over 1000
participants) will be strengthened and developed with additional topics under the DAP. In
addition, UFO will explore intergenerational approaches to literacy to increase synergies
between projects.

In order to improve attendance, attention and performance in primary schools, the School
Feeding Project funded by USDA, will be expanded, providing meals to approximately
33,000 children. A School Health and Nutrition piece will be added with USDA funding,
and UFO will provide deworming, micro- nutrients (vitamin A) and health education in two
InterAction Member Activity Report for 96
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
districts – Nakasongola, and Lira (where Catholic Relief Services will provide school
feeding). Schistosomiasis treatment will be added to all sub-counties which border Lake
Kyoga, with funding from the Bill Gates Schistosomiasis Control Initiative for Uganda.
50,000 students will benefit.

SO2: Access to high quality reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services: With funding
from Barclays and HACI, UFO will continue to expand its work in Reproductive Health in
Nakasongola District. District reproductive health indicators will be improved by the
ongoing support of 131 Community Reproductive Health Workers (CRHWs) and 17 Field
Workers as well as district health staff, all of whom have received training from UFO.
Support to the Post Test Club and other groups that assist people living with AIDS will be
strengthened. Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) will be expanded greatly within
Nakasongola District through a sub-grant to the AIDS Information Centre. A sub- grant to
FIDA will provide legal support to people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Partnership Defined Quality for Health (PDQ-H) will be expanded within Nakasongola
and to at least one other district by direct implementation. UFO will also provide technical
support through USAID’s UPHOLD Project to other national organizations to take PDQ to
other districts.

Youth protection and development will be pursued through activities that include the
dissemination of information and services through youth groups and peer to peer
counseling, drama and music, and youth fairs for out of school youth. The previously
established Quality Improvement Teams made up of representatives from District Health
Units and communities will continue their use of the PDQ process in order to improve the
services that health centers provide. UFO will pilot Youth Defined Quality, initially in
Nakasongola District.

SO3: Maternal child health interventions for vulnerable groups: Under the DAP, UFO
will expand its network of community based staff and volunteers and partner with the
MOH/other agencies to promote appropriate breastfeeding practices, infant and child
feeding, growth promotion and care giving during illness. Behavior change
communication (BCC) strategies for family planning services will be employed by trained
Community Health Extensionists (CHEs) and Community Health Assistants (CHAs).
Health education will also be expanded through the CHEs and CHAs, particularly focusing
on the spread of information on control of malaria and diarrheal diseases, and the
encouragement of complete childhood immunizations.

S04: Support to vulnerable households affected by HIV/AIDS (particularly child and

elderly- headed households)
Again under the DAP, the HIV/AIDS component of the on-going reproductive health work
will be strengthened. SC Uganda will work with up to 2,500 households affected by
HIV/AIDS in Nakasongola District in order to build their capacity through skills
development and resource mobilization. Specific actions include connecting families with
support systems such as livelihood groups, improving opportunities for income-generation,
and matching youth with volunteers who will teach them skills in livelihoods. In addition,
InterAction Member Activity Report for 97
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
monitoring of the food security of HIV affected households will allow for district- level
strategies in response to those in need. These families will receive food aid for
supplementary feeding. With funding from HACI, SC plans to sub- grant to FIDA to
provide legal advice and succession planning services to HIV affected individuals and
households. There will also be linkages with CHANCE schools and their SMCs to
increase enrollment of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), and the provision of
psycho-social training for teachers on the special needs of OVC and HIV/AIDS affected
children. In further response to the impact of HIV/AIDS, child headed households will be
assisted in terms of food security and grants will be provided to community groups
working in household livelihoods (e.g. animal husbandry and community gardens).

SO5: Food security for vulnerable pastoralists, fishing and agricultural families through
various livelihood improvement initiatives: Overall, SC Uganda will be working to
improve the access, production and utilization of food among targeted vulnerable
households within Nakasongola District. Technical capacity in agricultural production at
the local level will be established through identification and training of Key Farmer
Coordinators (KFCs) throughout Nakasongola (184 persons). The KFCs will be
supervised by Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and will learn and demonstrate
agronomic practices to others in their community. Road infrastructure will be improved
and training provided on crop production, storage, processing and markets. Action Contre
La Faim America has been sub-contracted under the DAP to improve peoples’ access to
and use of water and sanitation facilities through borehole and latrine construction and
maintenance throughout the district. Those children who are at greatest nutritiona l risk
will be aided through supplementary feeding.

Political operating climate and political issues:

During the year 2002, Uganda has undertaken a number of reviews and the most important
ones include: the constitutional review exercise, which aims to promote democracy and
good governance, and the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) review exercise. The
PEAP is the government’s comprehensive development framework that guides medium
term sector plans, district plans, and the budget processes.

At the regional level, Uganda has joined the other two EA countries of Kenya and
Tanzania to establish the EAC with a parliament (with seats in Arusha, Tanzania) with
equal representation of the 3 member countries. The community is entrusted with role of
handling cross border issues and harmonization of taxes, budget policies and politics. All
these moves are aimed at addressing poverty issues, conflict resolution and promoting
mutual cooperation among member states.

Through the Inter Governmental Agency for Development (IGAD) peace has been
negotiated in several countries: Uganda and Sudan have agreed to stop supporting each
other’s rebels, i.e. the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Lords Resistance
Movement (LRA) respectively. Sudan has signed a peace agreement with the SPLA. While
Uganda on their part through a military campaign code named “Operation Iron Fist” that is
currently under the command of President Yoweri Museveni himself, the Uganda People’s
Defense Forces (UPDF) has intensified its efforts against the LRA. The campaign has even

InterAction Member Activity Report for 98

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
extended into the Sudan upon agreement between the two governments. After the Lusaka
agreement the governments of Uganda and Rwanda agreed to pull out the forces from the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for as long as the latter stopped providing any
support (be it material or moral) to the ADF and Interahamwe militia (for Uganda and
Rwanda respectively). All these initiatives have brought renewed hope that peace might
eventually prevail in the Great Lakes region.

Following the world summit in May 2002, the Government of Uganda (GoU) embarked on
the process of developing the Uganda National Plan of Action for Children (UNPACC 11).
The process aims at ensuring that the World Fit for Children document forms the basis for
UNPACC 11. The priority areas to be considered are prevention of exploitation, sexual
abuse and neglect, HIV/AIDS, health, education, advocacy resource mobilization and child
participation.

The report on the UN convention on the Rights of the Child by the government was drafted
in October 2001. The Alternative Report on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) by civil
society organizations (CSO) is being drafted and is coordinated by Uganda Child Rights
NGO Network one of SC Norway-Uganda’s partners.

The National Youth Policy that aims at empowering the youth through key strategic action
programs was launched in June 2002. The draft National Policy on Young People and
HIV/AIDS is being developed and seeks to increase the participation of children and
young people in all HIV/AIDS interventions.

Regarding the protection of children’s rights in general Uganda has not only ratified all
major conventions but has developed its own Children’s Statute. Some of the instruments
ratified include:
• The Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which entered into force
on 1st July 2002 and makes conscription and use of children less than 15 years in armed
hostilities a war crime (Article 8).
• International Labor Organization convention 182 concerning the prohibition and
immediate action and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• Optional protocols to the convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and
child pornography.
• The optional protocol to the CRC on involvement of the children in armed conflict.
• The ILO/IPEC tripartite arrangement to combat child labor has continued make good
progress in addressing the issues in Uganda.

While these ratifications may be seen as a sign of success, the proportion of the budgetary
allocation to the social service sector that directly benefits children is paltry compared to
the allocation to the Ministry of Defense. Childcare and protection interventions are
inadequate and the orphans’ situation still remains a big challenge. Uganda is still among
the countries where the rights of the children, especially those in armed conflict, are
continuously being violated, and as such the country is still on the UN Security Council list
of countries that have not done enough to protect the rights of children.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 99

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 Trickle Up Program

US Contact Field Contact

Marinke van Riet Please contact home office.
Program Officer for Africa
Trickle Up Program
104 W. 27th St., 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212-255-9980
Email: Africa@trickleup.org

Introduction to Trickle Up Program

Founded in 1979, the Trickle Up Program is an international nonprofit organization
dedicated to alleviating poverty through micro-enterprise development. The mission of
Trickle Up is to help the lowest income people worldwide take the first step out of poverty
by providing conditional seed capital and business training essential to the launch of a
micro-enterprise. This proven social and economic empowerment model is implemented in
partnership with local Coordinating Partner Agencies.

Trickle Up believes in people and their capacity to make a difference. We empower the
world’s poorest people to develop their potential and strengthen their communities. We
pursue this goal in a way that encourages innovation and leadership, maximizes resources,
and promotes communication and cooperation among all Trickle Up constituencies.

Since it was founded, Trickle Up has helped build more than 120,000 businesses benefiting
a half- million people in 120 countries. It currently operates in 24 countries in Africa, Asia,
the Americas, and in the United States. Trickle Up’s program of business training and
seed capital, in the form of $100 grants, is delivered by field-based partners, mainly
nongovernmental organizations, which serve poor communities with development
programs. These partner agencies select the poorest entrepreneurs for Trickle Up, using a
customized poverty assessment tool.

Trickle Up Program in Uganda

Trickle Up’s partners provide advocacy, training, and service programs to alleviate poverty
in diverse communities across the country. Most of Trickle Up’s work takes place in rural
areas, particularly in western Uganda – an area underserved by development agencies.

In 2003, Uganda ranks 150th out of 173 countries according to the United Deve lopment
Programme’s Human Development Index. Most Ugandans derive their livelihood from
subsistence farming, but agricultural productivity is declining and the natural resource base
is being degraded. The quality of health and educational services is poor. Over half of the
population is under the age of 15 and is especially vulnerable to a new wave of HIV/AIDS
infection. Therefore, in Uganda, Trickle Up is focusing on increasing the survival rate of
HIV/AIDS affected families and encouraging sustainable agriculture through
microenterprise development.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 100

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Program Sectors in Uganda
The Trickle Up Program is implemented in the Business Development, Cooperatives and
Credit program sector.

Trickle Up’s partners are involved in:

• Agriculture and Food Production
• Education/Training
• Gender Issues/Women in Development
• Rural Development

Programs in Uganda
• See “Cooperative Efforts,” as all programs are implemented through Trickle Up
Coordinating Partner Agencies.

Geographical Areas in Uganda

Specifically, Trickle Up works in and around Kampala, Mbale, Fort Portal, Kasese, Jinja,
Luwero, Kisinga, Mbera, and Pakwach. Many of Trickle Up’s Coordinating Partner
Agencies maintain headquarters in these cities, while many programs are implemented in
slum areas around the cities.

Scale of Programs
Since 1984, Trickle Up has helped entrepreneurs in Uganda build more than 6,753
businesses in cooperation with our partners there. Currently, Trickle Up works with 18
partners, and during its fiscal year, from September 1, 2002 to August 31, 2003, Trickle
Up helped start 457 Ugandan businesses.

Cooperative Efforts
• American Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) is working in four villages in the
Luwero district in central Uganda. There are many orphans in this district as result of
the war during the 1980’s between Museveni’s rebel army and then-dictator Milton
Obote. Many of these orphans also lost parents to AIDS. AMREF’s operations in
Luwero focus on integrated development services such as agricultural modernization,
polio immunization, sanitation, home improvement, and children’s rights enforcement.
Trickle Up works with their “Orphans Program,” as it is known, to lend support to
AMREF’s income-generating activities among orphans and guardians. Trickle Up
entrepreneurs are mainly selected from the most vulnerable families, especially those
who are taking care of orphans.

• Child Restoration Outreach (CRO) implements the Trickle Up program and works
primarily in Mbale and in the slum areas around Jinja in eastern Uganda. The majority
of the people CRO deals with are either internally displaced persons from western
Uganda or refugees from southern Sudan. Due to extreme destitute conditions, many
families expect their children to contribute to the household income. Children are
forced to the streets to collect and sell scrap materials to agents and to find food on
their own. By providing a health clinic, dining hall, showers, counseling rooms, a
InterAction Member Activity Report for 101
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 playroom/library, and a courtyard, CRO starts street children on a path reintegrating
into formal schools. Through its women’s clubs, CRO also provides the mothers and
guardians of these children with health clinics, literacy training, and Trickle Up grants.
The Trickle Up entrepreneurs are selected as the poorest of the poor and usually have
no steady income before receiving Trickle Up grants. This helps families take their
first steps out of poverty and allows them to bring their children off the streets and into
schools.

• Near Fort Portal in western Uganda, Trickle Up works with the Foundation for Rural
Development (FORUD), a local NGO committed to training rural men and women in
sustainable agriculture, savings and credit groups, beekeeping, and water and sanitation
projects. FORUD also trains farmers how to plant bananas, a main staple in Uganda.
Trickle Up is operational in Rubona, where FORUD has a demonstration farm to train
households how to plow, dig holes, catch manure and prepare land for intercropping.
Trickle Up is implemented as an extension of the agricultural program and a part of
their profit is reinvested in their farms. Over 151 households have been trained in
Rubona.

• Kweterana Disabled Association (KDA), a partner in west Uganda since 1993, was
founded “to enhance the standard of living of people with disabilities in all capacities.”
To this end, KDA is involved in community sensitization, encouraging polio
immunization, and, with the help of Trickle Up, income-generating activities. KDA
also has its own institutional income- generating activities that help relieve dependence
on donor funds. A donated maize/cassava grinder run full time by a disabled member
further helps KDA support itself. KDA also hosts the Women’s Weavers Club—a
basket-weaving association of 120 women (30 are disabled)—that provides training in
basket weaving with intricate designs and natural colors. The baskets are sold locally
and in Kampala. Trickle Up has helped the most vulnerable disabled members of KDA
start 218 businesses and has provided training in business management, record
keeping, and savings mechanisms.

Special Concerns
The most compelling challenge Trickle Up faces in Uganda is caring for the orphans left
behind by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to the UN, approximately half of the 24.6
million people in Uganda are under 15 years old, illustrating the size of the population
affected.

The Lord’s Resistance Army has impeded Trickle Up staff’s ability to reach northern
Uganda. This has caused Trickle Up to temporarily suspend activities with partners
located there until visitation is possible once again.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 102

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 U.S. Committee for Refugees

US Contact Field Contact

Mr. Joel Frushone Please contact home office.
Africa Policy Analyst
1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036-2003
Tel: (202) 347-3507
Fax: (202) 347-3418
Email: jfrushone@irsa-uscr.org
Web: www.refugees.org

Introduction to U.S. Committee for Refugees

U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization based
in Washington, D.C. that monitors, reports, analyzes, and advocates on humanitarian
assistance and protection issues affecting refugees and internally displaced persons
worldwide. USCR was founded in 1958. USCR is a strong advocate of adequate funding
for refugee assistance and protection programs around the world. USCR shares its
findings and recommendations with government officials, UN officials, humanitarian relief
organizations, the media, and the general public.

U.S. Committee for Refugees in the Great Lakes Region

USCR is a leading voice in reporting on and advocating for refugees and internally
displaced persons in Africa’s Great Lakes region. USCR has monitored uprooted
populations in the Great Lakes region for decades. USCR continues to focus on uprooted
Burundians, Congolese, and Rwandans.

Displaced Burundians: USCR has actively monitored and reported on the crisis in
Burundi since 1993. USCR conducted a site visit in Burundi and Tanzania during mid-
2002. USCR closely examined the return of Burundian refugees to their unstable
homeland and published “Returning to Partial Peace: Refugee Repatriation to Burundi”
in June 2002. USCR also drew attention to the one million Burundians uprooted from
their homes during 2002. USCR continues to monitor the monthly displacement of
thousands of Burundians during 2003.

In late 2002, USCR, in collaboration with Refugees International, wrote to the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, Rudd Lubbers, advocating for Burundian refugees’
fundamental rights and opposing their forced repatriation.

USCR continues to urge the Tanzanian government to respect the rights of Burundian
refugees to decide whether or not to repatriate voluntarily to Burundi. USCR also
continues to urge the U.S. government and international donors to remain financially and
diplomatically committed to keeping Tanzania’s Burundian refugee camps open and
operating.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 103

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Displaced Congolese: USCR visited Congolese refugee camps in Rwanda and Tanzania
in late 2002. USCR reported that Rwandan government officials and rebel groups backed
by the Rwandan government misled Congolese in Gihembe and Kiziba refugee camps to
believe that peace, land, and humanitarian assistance awaited returnees to eastern Congo-
Kinshasa. USCR wrote to Rwandan President Paul Kagame in 2002 urging the Rwandan
government to avoid any further activity, including threats of forcible removal, that might
influence Congolese refugees to return home against their will.

USCR published The Forced Repatriation of Congolese Refugees Living in Rwanda” and
“New Congolese Refugees in Tanzania” in late 2002, which highlighted the plight of
Congolese refugee populations in Rwanda and Tanzania.

Displaced Rwandans: USCR visited Rwanda and Tanzania to further examine the
repatriation of Rwandan refugees in late 2002. USCR published a policy paper entitled
“Repatriation of Rwandan Refugees Living in Tanzania” in early 2003. In it, USCR
concluded that UNHCR reacted slowly in providing the assistance and protection
monitoring needed in Rwanda to ensure that refugees repatriated in safety and dignity.

Every year, USCR catalogues displacement throughout the Great Lakes region in its
annual World Refugee Survey.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 104

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 U.S. Fund for UNICEF

US Contact Field Contact

Kiní Schoop Rwanda
U.S. Fund for UNICEF UNICEF
333 East 38th St. B.P. 381
New York, NY 10016 Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: 212/880-9132 Tel: 250 5730.06
Email: kschoop@unicefusa.org Email: fo_rwanda@unicef.org

Uganda
UNICEF
P.O. Box 7047
Kampala
Republic of Uganda
Tel: 256 41 234 591
Email: kampala@unicef.org

UNICEF in Rwanda
The major objectives of UNICEF’s work are: (a) to reduce morbidity and mortality of
children under five years old and to reduce maternal mortality by 25 percent; (b) to ensure
universal access to quality primary education and improve young people's quality of life;
(c) to reduce exploitation, abuse and harm of children, and enhance protection measures
for children with special needs; and (d) to promote the involvement of children in the
decision- making process at the community level on issues which affect them.
Maternal and child health is supported through the expansion of the HIV/AIDS mother-to-
child transmission pilot project, the continuation of malaria control activities, the
Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses, safe motherhood and health reform. Child
growth and development is promoted through early childcare, nutrition, hygiene and
environmental awareness, and education interventions. Community-based nutrition
activities and the prevention and control of micronutrient malnutrition contribute to the
reduction of protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in children under
five years old and in pregnant and lactating women. The water and sanitation component
supports water quality management, hygiene, sanitation and community environmental
care through schools and policy development.
The education, development and protection programs aim to fulfill the rights of children
through: (a) achieving universal quality primary education through in-service training,
curriculum development, certification of teachers, support to policy development, girls'
education, pre-school education, the reintegration of out-of-school youth and the
elimination of exploitative forms of child labor; (b) strengthening juvenile justice and
vocational training for youth; and (c) continued support for children in need of special
protection, including orphans and children in detention.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 105

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
UNICEF Response: Activities, Achievements and Constraints
At this early stage, UNICEF, the Government, and its partners have accomplished the
following: UNICEF has been a key partner in the follow up to the 2000 World Education
Forum. As part of the EFA action-planning process, it established a national EFA
committee with girls’ education as a key area for discussion and action. The system for
data collection and analysis is improving with the establishment of the National Education
Statistical Information System (NESIS). Efforts will focus on disaggregated data. Other
partners such as DFID and the French Co-operation will continue to support this initiative.
Support for the introduction of a system of Monitoring Learning Achievement also has
recently been initiated.

The cross-cutting HIV/AIDS prevention and child participation program will; (a) promote
the involvement and empowerment of youth on issues that affect them; and (b) halve the
seroprevalence of HIV among youth. Participatory problem analysis at the community
level supports greater empowerment of young people in decision- making. An HIV/AIDS
voluntary confidential counseling and testing component for youth has been established.
The Sara Communication Initiative launched in eastern and southern Africa in 1996, helps
young women make the transition into adulthood. Sara is an animated cartoon character,
around 14 years old, who makes important life decisions such as whether to stay in school
or how to deal with difficult adults. The episodes generate discussions on key issues
affecting adolescent girls, including HIV/AIDS, the unequal workloads of boys and girls,
teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and early marriage. They also demonstrate essential life
skills, including effective communication, negotiation and problem solving. This
communication package has been expanded with materials on HIV/AIDS particularly
relevant to Rwanda.

UNICEF’s work is carried out within the framework of increasing program collaboration
of United Nations agencies in Rwanda, mainly through the ongoing Common Country
Assessment (CCA) and United Nations Development Assistance Framework exercises.
Partnerships are maintained with NGOs and work with civil society organizations has been
strengthened.

The child protection program has reached the following beneficiaries:

• 4,454 young detainees nationwide;
• 156 street children in Gisenyi;
• 2,700 households comprising about 8,500 children in Kigali-Ngali;
• 1,250 househo lds comprising about 4,500 children in Kibuye;
• 5,670 street children in Kigali City.

Former street children have been reintegrated into the primary school system with many of
them passing the national entrance test for secondary training. In addition, child heads of
households have been able to send their siblings to school through income- generating
projects.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 106

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Children heads of households were also able to improve their nutritional status through
these income generating activities – agriculture, livestock, fishing – and skills training,
such as carpentry, metalwork, food processing, printing, etc.

UNICEF’s current child protection program goals include:

Juvenile justice
• To ensure that children and youth in conflict with the law have their rights fulfilled in
terms of due process, physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration.
• To strengthen and develop the human capacity of key actors involved in the juvenile
justice system.
• To reduce the risks of offending with the active involvement and support of the
community.
• To protect children deprived of their liberty and family from violence, abuse and
discrimination.

Children deprived of their normal family environment

• To strengthen social delivery systems, promote participation and reinforce the capacity
of children, families and communities to fulfill the rights of children deprived of their
family.
• To develop community-based models of care for high-risk HIV/AIDS groups of
children.
• To promote physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of child
victims of any form of abuse or exploitation.
• To reinforce the capacity of local authorities to respond to violations of children’s
rights (sexual exploitation, physical abuse and child exploitation).

Long-term sustainability will be achieved by working with selected NGOs, community-

based organizations and local government entities to set up and operate child rights
networks in at least four provinces. Institutional and legal frameworks for monitoring and
protecting children’s rights will be reinforced and developed. Through advocacy,
children’s rights will be integrated into the planning concerns of districts and communities.

UNICEF in Uganda
Although, annual per capita income has increased it is estimated that almost 44 percent of
Uganda’s 21 million people live in absolute poverty. HIV/AIDS poses the greatest
challenge to Uganda's citizens and places a burden on the country's resources through
rising medical expenditures, absenteeism from work, the need to train replacement labor
and labor shortages stemming from HIV/AIDS mortality and morbidity. The agricultural
sector has already been seriously affected by the epidemic, and national capacity-building
efforts are endangered.

UNICEF will be implementing early childhood development to additional districts in the

country. Community participatory approaches will be consolidated into a community
dialogue tool that will be used to promote community participation and involvement. The
Health and Nutrition Program will, in collaboration with other programs, support the local

InterAction Member Activity Report for 107

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
government structures to implement community-based interventions with impact of child
survival, growth and development within the early childhood framework.

Malaria control and prevention at the community level will be a focus—improving case-
management at health facilities and in the community, increasing the use of insecticide-
treated materials and the availability of drugs for pregnant women and children under five.
Backed by strong political commitment to revitalizing immunization, the focus will be to
strengthen routine immunization services as funding permits, simultaneously completing
scheduled measles and maternal/neonatal tetanus campaigns.

Maternal health issues will be integrated into early childhood and the links explored with
prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS, girls' education and
adolescent health. UNICEF in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will support the Ministry of Healt h in carrying
out a national assessment on emergency obstetric care and to determine strategies for
improving deliveries in health facilities during the first quarter of 2003.

UNICEF Response: Activities, Achievements and Constraints

The Country Representatives of UNICEF and of the World Health Organization in Uganda
appealed to all belligerents in Uganda to cease all hostilities between 14th and 21st
October to allow for the mass immunization of children against measles.

The WHO Representative and the UNICEF Representative made this appeal for "days of
tranquility" in the conflict-affected areas to allow more than 50,000 vaccinators and
community mobilizers to immunize every one of 12.7 million children in Uganda during
the mass immunization campaign. UNICEF and WHO are the principal supporters of the
campaign that is being conducted by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Uganda.

The two Representatives reminded all parties in conflict, particularly those in northern and
northeastern Uganda, that the parties to the conflict have an obligation to all the children of
Uganda to ensure that they enjoy their right to health. In calling for an absolute cessation
of hostilities during the week of the campaign, both UNICEF and WHO expect that
vaccination teams will reach every part of Uganda and immunize every child from age 6
months to 15 years, irrespective of location, parentage, gender, race, religious creed, ethnic
origin or political affiliation.

UNICEF supports a psychosocial program to ensure that children affected by armed

conflict (those displaced in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and formerly
abducted children) have access to counseling and rehabilitation programs (for the latter
group). The program helps young people support each other. Many schools have been
displaced, with the result that normal schooling has been disrupted. Temporary Learning
Centers have emerged to replace schools, with each centre catering to between 2,000 and
10,000 pupils. To ensure continuity of learning, UNICEF has supported construction of
these centers and provided education materials so that young people remain in class.
UNICEF is also supporting the training of teachers in integrated psychosocial support to
help them with children who exhibit particularly serious emotional difficulties. It is
InterAction Member Activity Report for 108
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
providing life skills to young people who return from captivity, who may feel they are too
old for insertion in the lower grades.

In addition, UNICEF is providing household non- food items such as blankets, jerricans,
plates and cups to displaced households and supporting displaced communities to improve
their sanitation by providing mobile latrines. UNICEF is also supporting supplementary
feeding in IDP camps for severely malnourished children.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 109

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 United Methodist Committee on Relief

US Contact Field Contact

Jennifer Poitras, Senior Program Officer – Main Office:
Africa Shaun Skelton, Head of Office
475 Riverside Drive, Suite # 1374 389 Avenue des Chutes
New York, NY 10115 Commune Lubumbashi
Tel: 212 870 3552 Lubumbashi
Email: jpoitras@umcor.org Democratic Republic of Congo
Tel/Fax: +243 23-42662 (office)
Tel: +243 81 508 47 84 (mobile)
Email: umcordrc@ic- lubum.cd

Representational Office:
240 Ave des Marais
Centre Ville
Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction to United Methodist Committee on Relief

Responding to natural or man- made disasters, the mission of the United Methodist
Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is to alleviate human suffering with open minds to all
religions and open hearts to all people. UMCOR is a humanitarian, non-proselytizing,
agency of the United Methodist Church, providing transitional development and relief
assistance internationally. By working collaboratively with local communities UMCOR
assists them in restoring social stability, revitalizing community structures, and
empowering their members to retake control of their lives.

UMCOR in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The United Methodist Church (UMC) has a long and far-reaching presence in the DRC
with an emphasis in the Katanga region, in southeastern DRC. UMCOR has been
supporting activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1982. Its focus is to
address some of the humanitarian needs that have arisen in the country. UMCOR’s efforts
currently focus on the following sectors: Food Security and Agriculture, Nutrition,
Education, Infrastructure, Health, and Community Development.

When fighting broke out in the DRC with the civil war several years ago, the different
conferences of the UMC rushed to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees
who had previously fled to the DRC due to fighting in their own countries. Assisting with
these local efforts were UMCOR and its Eme rgency Services Office (ESO). UMCOR
continues to support its local counterparts in their efforts to address the many needs that
face the people of the DRC, regardless of their background or faith.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 110

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
In response to the extensive needs in the country, and in addition to supporting the
operations of its local counterparts, the UMC decided to establish an office of its
international NGO unit in the DRC and in October 2002, the United Methodist Committee
on Relief-NGO (UMCOR-NGO) launched its operations. UMCOR-NGO works primarily
in Katanga province, in the southeast of the country. UMCOR DRC’s main office is
located in Lubumbashi, with a representational office in Kinshasa and a sub-office in
Pweto.

The following outlines the work being directed by UMCOR through its NGO unit:
UMCOR’s NGO unit established the office in Pweto in March 2003 and began a pilot
agricultural programme in the region with the assistance of a small grant. In June UMCOR
received a major grant to implement a one-year Food Security Programme in the Lake
Mwero region, based in Pweto. UMCOR is assisting 4000 farming and fishing families by
distributing seeds, tools, bicycles, wheelbarrows, fishing nets, lanterns and small boats to
rehabilitate the agricultural economy in the region which was devastated by war, thereby
encouraging refugees and internally displaced persons to return to the area. The
programme also includes training in improved agricultural techniques. Communities can
benefit from the procurement of maize and sunflower seed processing mills and the
construction of three market centres and hundreds of village- level improved food storage
bins. Some 32,000 persons are expected to benefit directly from the programme.
A community mobilization and agriculture training project has just been funded which will
allow UMCOR to provide training in the Mulungwishi and Kamina areas of Katanga
Province. This UMCOR component is part of the USAID Livelihoods Program, a larger
project being implemented in Katanga province by PACT, another INGO, which is sub-
granting this component to UMCOR.

UMCOR DRC received a grant to support girls’ scholarships and mentoring in

Lubumbashi and rural areas in the Katanga region. The project is designed to assist girls
who show academic promise but are at risk of dropping out of school, or have stopped
attending school, due to inability to pay the tuition. Under this programme, UMCOR DRC
provides scholarships, mentoring, and educational support to approximately 1500 primary
school girls.

In Kinshasa, UMCOR has received a grant to renovate the UMC Riverboat, which, when
complete, will ferry medical supplies and other desperately needed goods up the Congo
River into the interior of the country, which has been cut off from supply lines for years
because of the war.

UMCOR DRC is currently developing other programmes in the areas of reconstruction of

roads, bridges and public buildings, emergency health, income generation, peace-building
and the reintegration of ex-combatants.

UMCOR DRC’s projects in the DRC have been supported by funding from the following:
Action by Churches Together, United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, United
States Agency for International Development/EDDI/Winrock, United States Office of

InterAction Member Activity Report for 111

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Transition Initiatives/CARE, United States Agency for International Development/PACT
International, and the UMC’s General Board of Global Ministries.

The following outlines the work being implemented by UMCOR through its local
counterparts:

UMC infrastructure
UMCOR has provided infrastructure and shelter assistance with the grant generated by the
Bishop’s Appeal “Hope for the Children of Africa.” This project has resulted in the
building of schools, orphanages, churches and houses in all 3 Episcopal areas of the UMC
in the DRC (Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kamina) through the purchase of a brick making
machine and the training of local technician in the use of the machine.

Hunger, Nutrition, Health and Orphan Children

Kinshasa and Kimpesse: Since 2000, UMCOR’s Emergency Services Unit has provided
relief food to uprooted and vulnerable children at 2 sites in the outskirts of Kinshasa and in
Kimpesse. The Kinshasa portion of this feeding program, as well as the activities outlined
below in this section, are conducted at a clinic/feeding center located 60 km from Kinshasa
recently built with funds from UMCOR. At the center UMCOR also supports
supplementary and therapeutic feeding to malnourished children. This center includes a
delivery room. Staff conduct workshops on nutrition for new and expectant mothers each
quarter. UMCOR is assisting the above center, and other clinics, with emergency
medicine. More than 100 Medicines Boxes have been shipped to the Congo since the
program started in 2002. At a facility near the above center, UMCOR provides education,
feeding, and shelter support to children abandoned or orphaned by war and HIV/AIDS.

Kamina (North Katanga Province): UMCOR has conducted food distributions to IDPs
families in Kamina and to remote places in the region. In addition, UMCOR provides food
to children at feeding centers in Kamina. In 2003, UMCOR initiated a nutritional program.
The aim of this initiative is to conduct practical training on nutrition and the growing and
use of nutritional crop in meeting children’s nutritional needs. UMCOR is also working on
health interventions in the area.

Lubumbashi (Katanga Province): UMCOR continues to support care for orphans and
abandoned children in housing constructed last year with UMCOR funds.

Sustainable Agriculture and Development

UMCOR started an agricultural development in 2003 with the support of several if its units
and is an extension of UMCOR’s agricultural program in Kamina, in the North Katanga
Province. This project is designed as a transitional tool leading the community from relief
toward self- help. The focus of the program is on nutritional crops (starting with soy bean,
Moringa tree etc.), income generating activities (bee-keeping), low- input agricultural
technology and integrated pest management

InterAction Member Activity Report for 112

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 USA for UNHCR

US Contact Field Contact

Jeffrey Meer, Executive Director Please contact home office.
United States Association for UNHCR
1775 K Street, NW
Suite 290
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (800) 770-1100
Web: www.UNRefugees.org

Introduction to USA for UNHCR

Established by concerned U.S. citizens, USA for UNHCR builds support in the United
States for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners.
USA for UNHCR supports refugee programs in camps around the world, meeting the
needs of displaced persons by providing resources from American individuals,
corporations, and foundations. In addition, the organization reaches out to educate
Americans in the United States about the plight of refugees through public education
programs and events.

UNHCR is responsible for protecting over 20 million people worldwide, including

refugees, internally displaced persons, stateless persons, and former refugees who have
returned home or are in the process of doing so. As the largest international humanitarian
organization, UNHCR and its partners provide food, water, shelter, medicine, and other
types of assistance to refugees worldwide. The agency operates in 120 countries.

UNHCR’s general objectives in the Great Lakes region

UNHCR’s objectives in the Great Lakes region are to promote refugee law, respect human
rights, and find durable solutions for those displaced throughout the region, which includes
voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration. A special emphasis is placed on
refugee women and children, ethnic minorities, and unaccompanied minors. UNHCR
reviews refugee situations, provides protection and humanitarian assistance, communicates
with governments, and mobilizes financial and material assistance.

Specifically, UNHCR provides health care, education, and nutrition initiatives, as well as
programs to empower women and protect unaccompanied minors. The agency also
focuses on awareness and prevention of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence
against refugees. UNHCR also provides also provides shelter, security, and employment
assistance to urban refugees.

Programs in the Great Lakes region are in the following sectors: Refugee Protection and
Solutions, Monitoring and Coordination, Disaster and Emergency Relief, Education and
Training, Health and Nutrition, Water Management, Sanitation, Income Generation,
Agriculture and Food Production, Domestic Needs / Household Support, Legal Assistance,
InterAction Member Activity Report for 113
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Shelter and other infrastructure, Transport and Logistics, and Operational Support to other
agencies.

UNHCR in Burundi
In Burundi, UNHCR supports the adoption of national refugee legislation to protect
refugees and asylum-seekers. The agency also works to facilitate the voluntary
repatriation of Congolese refugees as well as the return of Burundian refugees from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and other host countries.

UNHCR provides income- generating activities for women, adult literacy classes, health
services to urban refugees, programs to reunite families, and advice to help the government
draft comprehensive refugee law.

UNHCR and UNICEF regularly meet to discuss the activities to be carried out in favor of
the return of unaccompanied minors. Since January 2003, UNHCR and the World Food
Programme have cooperated on the provision and distribution of food items to refugees
and returnees. The agency also continues to work with the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights on refugee and returnee related issues through meetings
and training sessions.

Recently, the governments of Burundi and Tanzania have agreed to open more border
crossing points to help Burundian refugees return to the east and south of their country.
Thus far, UNHCR has limited its repatriation efforts to relatively safe areas in the north.
The agency is not encouraging repatriation to other areas of Burundi at this time due to
instability and continued violence, although the Tanzanian government continues to hasten
the process. UNHCR is developing plans to repatriate a large number of refugees to these
areas safely in the future.

The lack of a peace agreement in Burundi has precluded an end to the conflict. 600,000
Burundians are internally displaced, 100,000 in 2003. A total of 180,946 people are of
concern to UNHCR. The total budget for the Burundi is $6,691,466.

UNHCR in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

UNHCR’s main objectives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are to help
implement the recently adopted refugee law, prepare the repatriation of refugees from
Angola, Rwanda, and neighboring states, assist in the demobilization and disarmament of
ex-soldiers within DRC, distribute appropriate identification documents to displaced
persons, and decrease the reliance of the refugee populations on humanitarian assistance.

Among refugee populations, UNHCR promotes self-sufficiency through income-

generating activities, provides peace education and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS
awareness campaigns, and assists in the demobilization and disarmament of ex-soldiers
from Rwanda and Burundi who have fled to eastern DRC.

The agency maintains strong contact with the UN observer mission to the DRC
(MONUC), as well as with the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN
InterAction Member Activity Report for 114
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
Development Programme, WFP, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. Along
with the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNHCR attempts to decrease aid-dependency
among refugees. The agency hosts quarterly meetings with government authorities, aid
organizations, and donors.

More than 300,000 Congolese refugees remain in neighboring countries following a civil
war that left 2.5 million dead due to combat, disease, and starvation. In addition, internally
displaced persons number about 2 million. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees,
Ruud Lubbers, visited DRC in August 2003 to discuss the impending return of thousands
of refugees and to formulate a plan to assist in their repatriation.

Poor government organization in DRC contributes to a depressed economy, continuing

ethnic conflict, and disastrous infrastructure. Obstacles to UNHCR revolve around the
perception that refugees in camps enjoy better living conditions than the local population,
living in dire poverty. A restrictive mandate, however, prevents UNHCR from helping
DRC nationals. There are 183,080 people of concern to UNHCR in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. UNHCR’s budget for the country is $30,064,761, which includes
funding for food, education, health, sanitation, shelter, water, and other basic necessities.

UNHCR in Rwanda
UNHCR’s main objectives in Rwanda are to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS, gender-
based violence, sexual exploitation of women and girls among refugees, and the
environmental degradation in refugee-affected areas. The agency also assists in tracing the
relatives of unaccompanied minors and facilitating the return of Rwandan refugees from
neighboring countries.

UNHCR promotes conservation and reforestation activities in the environmentally

degraded countryside, provides fuel-efficient stoves in camps to reduce deforestation for
firewood, reunifies unaccompanied minors with their families or with foster families, and
addresses the gender inequality between males and females in education.

The agency also works with the Joint Commission for Repatriation, Rehabilitation, and
Reintegration of Rwandan Refugees, as well as the Ministry of Local Administration and
Social Affairs, in the Rwandan government. Other partners include the World Food
Programme and five NGOs, which assist in the distribution of food and non- food items,
respectfully.

In September 2003, UNHCR was able to repatriate a number of unaccompanied minors

and demilitarized soldiers who fled following the 1994 genocide. Also in early September,
Tanzanian authorities expelled nearly 1,000 Rwandans who had been screened and refused
refugee status. UNHCR offered to assist in their return, but the refugees refused, insisting
on remaining in Tanzania. Although Tanzania sought UNHCR’s help, the agency does not
assist in the forced repatriation of refugees.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 115

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
A cease- fire agreement remains largely unimplemented, and instability prevents the
repatriation of many displaced persons. In Rwanda, there are 49,000 people of concern to
UNHCR. The total budget for Rwanda is $8,036,195.

UNHCR in Uganda
UNHCR’s main objectives in Uganda are to provide international protection for refugees
from Rwanda, the Sudan, and DRC, and to assist in the repatriation, local integration,
resettlement, and self-reliance of both refugees in camps and urban areas.

UNHCR encourages the participation of women in local agriculture, the creation of a

school meal program in local refugee-hosting areas, and community service programs that
allow refugees to help maintain infrastructure while improving relatio ns with locals.
UNHCR encourages women and girls to attend high school and provides counseling for
children who have experienced trauma. An environmental program has been developed,
and the agency is maintaining several small tree nurseries.

UNHCR maint ains close contact with other UN agencies and national and international
NGOs. The agency works in cooperation with WFP on the School Feeding Program,
which provides school meals in refugee-affected areas. UNHCR also partners with the
office of the Prime Minister and the regional governments in the areas affected by
Sudanese refugees.

Recently, widespread crop failure in Uganda has left many self-reliant refugees to the
mercy of international aid. The region has suffered from a civil conflict that has uprooted
1.2 million, many of whom are now facing a food crisis.

UNHCR assists 189,690 persons in Uganda. The agency’s budget for Uganda is
$15,774,204

InterAction Member Activity Report for 116

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 World Relief

US Contact Field Contact

David van Vuuren Daniel Brose
Vice President for International Ministries Great Lakes Regional Director
7 East Baltimore St. BP 6052
Baltimore, MD 21202 Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: 443-451-1900 Tel: 250-84664
Fax: 443-451-1955 Fax: 250-87190
Email: dvanvuuren@wr.org Email: dbrose@wr.org

Introduction to World Relief

The mission of World Relief, as originated within the US National Association of
Evangelicals, is to work with, for, and from the Church in alleviating human suffering
and poverty worldwide in the name of Jesus Christ.

World Relief in the Great Lakes Region

World Relief works with local Christian churches and denominations to meet the needs
of fractured communities and displaced people within the Great Lakes region of Central
Africa – i.e., Burundi, Rwanda, and Eastern D.R. Congo. Programs focus on disaster
relief, rehabilitation, and development, as shown in the following table:
Sector Burundi Rwanda D.R. Congo

Agriculture, Food [ [
Production

Business Development, [ [ [
Cooperatives, Credit

Disaster and Emergency Planned [

Relief

Education and Training [ [ Planned

Gender Issues, Women in [ [ [

Development

Health Care [
Human Rights, Peace, [
Conflict Resolution

Refugee and Migration Planned [

Services

Rural Development [ [
InterAction Member Activity Report for 117
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
World Relief in Burundi (WRB)
World Relief began work in Burundi in 2003, although WRB has a history of
encouraging the evangelical churches in Burundi since 2000. Burundi’s challenges
include a political crisis that dates back beyond the assassination in 1993 of the country’s
first and last democratically elected president. The on-going conflict, referred to by some
as a slow-onset genocide, has resulted in massive increases in poverty and suffering.
World Relief’s current programs in Burundi include microfinance and HIV/AIDS. The
microfinance program is funded by a five-year USAID grant, in which both Congo and
Burundi are included. This program will establish a lead microfinance institution in
Burundi that will create a replicable model of sound microfinance practices. By the end
of 2004, there will be 950 clients and a loan portfolio of $22,500. In parallel with the
establishment of an MFI, WRB will also support a local microfinance lateral learning and
action forum. World Relief will create a local network and actively encourage other
players in the sector to join. Activities will originate in Bujumbura, but will quickly
move out into the semi- urban centers throughout the country. World Relief has also
recently initiated HIV/AIDS activities in Burundi. To start, we are translating many of
our materials from Kinyarwanda (Rwanda) into Kirundi, these materials will then be
printed and used to train church partners throughout Burundi. These and other
HIV/AIDS materials will also be used to train clients in the microfinance program.

World Relief in Rwanda (WRR)

World Relief entered Rwanda in a relief capacity in 1994 and is committed to facilitating
the long-term development of the country. Since 1994, WRR has implemented a variety
of relief and rehabilitation programs including shelter rehabilitation, orphan and widow
aid, food distribution, and refugee resettlement. Since 1997, through its community-
banking program known as URWEGO, World Relief has extended credit through small
loans to more than 13,000 active members. Most members of URWEGO are widows and
individuals from poor families who cannot get credit through the commercial banking
system because they do not have the required collateral. URWEGO has been
continuously supported by USAID grants since 1998, and URWEGO is projected to be
financially self sufficient by 2005. In 1999, WRR launched Mobilizing For Life, an
AIDS program aimed at helping the church and its leadership to grapple with this
enormous issue. This program, which is now in its fifth year of activity under USAID
support, has produced Kinyarwanda publications for pastors, youth, church counselors
and home care volunteers to assist them in responding to this problem. In 2001, WRR
started a 5-year, USAID-funded, Child Sur vival program in Kibogora Health District,
with the objective to support churches and the Health District in reducing mortality and
morbidity among women and children under five. This community-based education
program that focuses on diarrhea and hygiene, immunization, HIV/ AIDS, malaria,
nutrition and maternal care has a goal of close integration with the church. In 2002,
WRR started a value-added agricultural program, also with USAID support, in
collaboration with our local partner, Solace Ministries. In this program we are
redeveloping the essential oils industry in Rwanda, focusing first on production of
organic eucalyptus and geranium oils—both of which have high value in Europe and the
US for use in perfumes, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 118

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
World Re lief Rwanda is helping Rwanda one person at a time. When one person is
assisted, the whole family benefits, and as families are empowered, the churches and
communities gain strength. Rwanda is in need of just such an approach to build a strong
foundation for the future and to strengthen her present social fabric. WRR continues in its
long-term commitment to mobilize and build capacity within the Church to sustainably
improve the lives of the poor, the suffering and the vulnerable in the name of Christ. In
order to fully fulfill its mission with regard to the church, WRR recently started a specific
program to develop and build capacity within Christian churches. It is indeed WRR’s
vision and hope to keep increasing collaboration with the church to help them conduct
holistic and sustainable ministries. We foresee this collaboration with the church as part
of all our technical programs, but also through additional initiatives of capacity building
and responses to specific needs. For example, we recently began mobilizing the Church
to respond to the pressing needs arising from GACACA and the recent decision to release
about 40,000 prisoners from the genocide. This collaboration with the Church will also
include in the future support to agriculture development within the church communities
so as to generate income in rural areas where the needs are most crying. With additional
revenue, farmers could better cope with health and education expenses of their
households.

World Relief in Eastern D.R. Congo (WRC)

North Kivu province, once a major breadbasket for the rest of Congo, has suffered
heavily since the outbreak of interethnic fighting in 1993. The agricultural cycle upon
which 85% of the region’s inhabits depend has been repeatedly disrupted, and thousands
of families have been forced to flee war and the rumors of war. Little by little many of
these are returning, as the security situation shows improvement, and lately encouraged
by the peace talks held in Pretoria. In most cases households return empty- handed, their
homes, fields and livestock pillaged and destroyed.

World Relief Congo, in cooperation with local church partners, has been active in North
Kivu Province since 1993 through food aid and school/hospital rehabilitation work. In
2001, WRC established a country office in Goma, North Kivu, and at that time we began
rural resettlement campaigns. The first resettlement campaign, in early 2002, brought
hoes, seeds, seed protection food and household kits to 6000 families in the Rutshuru
Territory, and later that year the second campaign similarly aided 3000 families in Masisi
Territory. 2003 saw third and fourth campaigns, once again in Rutshuru and Masisi
territories, with a complete resettlement packages to almost 10,000 additional families.
In late 2003, WRC is going to start microfinance activities in North Kivu, with the plan to
also extend these activities to South Kivu Province. This program, funded by a five-year
USAID grant, will establish a lead microfinance institution in the region that will create a
replicable model of sound microfinance practices. By the end of 2004, there will be 775
clients and a loan portfolio of $18,325. In parallel with the establishment of a
microfinance institution, WRC will also establish a local microfinance lateral learning
and action forum. World Relief will create a local network and actively encourage other
players in the sector to join.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 119

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
 World Vision

US Contact Field Contact

Robert Solem Maereg Tafere, National Director
East Africa Program Officer World Vision Burundi
International Programs Group 111 Uprona Blvd.
World Vision US Bujumbura, Burundi
300 "I" Street, NE Tel: (257) 21 5669, 21835
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: 202-572-6309

Introduction to World Vision

World Vision International is a Christian Relief and Development Organization working
for the well being of all people, especially children. Through emergency relief,
education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice, World Vision
helps communities help themselves.

World Vision in Burundi

World Vision has been involved in Burundi since 1963. World Vision’s current strategy
is to focus its resources on two provinces, Karuzi and Muyinga, providing an array of
complementary projects that address both the immediate needs of the population and
promote long-term community development. The value of World Vision Burundi’s
projects in FY03 is approximately $6,000,000. Current activities include, but are not
limited to:

• Improving agriculture productivity (introducing improved seeds, tools, and other

technologies)
• Community grain banks
• Income generating activities
• Health and nutrition
• HIV/AIDS awareness raising and prevention
• Peace and Reconciliation
• Support to health and education services
• School feeding and gardening
• Capacity building (training of staff, community, and government employees)
• Emergency food distribution (only for drought-affected people)
• Support for returnees, IDPs, etc.

Major Projects
The UNDP Integrated Agricultural Project (April 2003 – July 2004) is designed to build
on the lessons learned implementing an OFDA (USAID) funded food security program
over the past five years. This project, with a budget of $1,142,172, aims to increase food
availability, accessibility, and utilization through improved natural resource management,
increased agricultural production and incomes, and improved household nutrition for
approximately 52,810 families in the provinces of Muyinga and Karuzi where food
InterAction Member Activity Report for 120
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
security is a major concern. The project has four objectives: 1) increasing agricultural
production, 2) reducing post harvest losses and facilitating marketing of crops, 3)
increasing income through provision of micro-credit, and 4) reducing malnutrition levels,
especially among children under five years of age.

The Post Harvest and Food Preservation Project (June 2002 - April 2004) is funded by
World Vision Canada with a budget of $124,688. Operating in Karuzi province, the
project objectives are: 1) to decrease the post harvest crop losses by 50 percent; 2) to
assist farmers to conserve perishable food commodities, and 3) to provide farmers with
training in marketing of farm surpluses to generate income. These activities are
multidisciplinary in nature, involving harvesting, handling, storage, processing, milling,
and marketing.

The School Feeding Program was initiated in June 2002 and targets 46 schools in Karuzi
province. The objective of the program is to increase school attendance, particularly by
girls. WFP provides food and the Belgian government provides funding for purchase of
non- food items and for construction of kitchens and latrines. The German government
also provides non- food items and de-worming medicine.

World Vision Burundi is the lead agency in the General Food Distribution Project in
Karuzi Province in collaboration with World Food Program. World Vision Burundi and
the WFP are currently targeting 42,588 beneficiaries in Karuzi Province. Last year, in
addition to WFP distribution, World Vision Burundi also collaborated with the FAO to
provide seeds to needy families.

World Vision Burundi’s privately funded Mobile Health and HIV/AIDS Project began in
February 2003 and focuses on providing medical assistance to returnees, IDPs, and
needy communities. The project provides basic preventive and curative medical care in
Muyinga and Karuzi provinces. In addition, the mobile health facility provides education
in basic health care, HIV/AIDS awareness, sanitation and personal hygiene. The project
helped establish HIV/AIDS Prevention Clubs in 23 primary schools and 20 secondary
schools in Muyinga Province, and 7 Secondary Schools in Karuzi Province.

World Vision has been working with unaccompanied children since 1995 in Karuzi,
Gitega, Kayanza, and Ngozi provinces, addressing problems of food security, children’s
rights, family tracing and reunification, and providing trauma support to war-affected
children. In February 2003, World Vision launched a new children’s program in Karuzi,
KIDS II, with funding from CIDA. This project provides 2,000 orphans and vulnerable
children with access to health care, education, improved shelter, basic household items,
and training in income generation. To complement the work of KIDS II, World Vision
Canada has funded the KIDS III/FAST Project that provides agricultural training, seeds
and tools to the same beneficiaries.

Preparing Communities for the Return of Displaced Persons (September 2003 – August
2004) is an OFDA (USAID) funded activity with a budget of $1,855,709. It targets
38,395 beneficiaries in Karuzi and Muyinga, and promotes the sustainable and peaceful
InterAction Member Activity Report for 121
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003
reintegration of displaced persons and returnees into local communities. The project is
being implemented in partnership with CARE International/Burundi and the major
activities are in the areas of health, education, water and sanitation and peace building.

World Vision Burundi’s privately funded Peace and Reconciliation/Christian Impact

Project is designed to promote peace and reconciliation amongst Burundians, both at the
leadership level as well as at the grassroots level. Burundians leaders of different faiths
and different ethnic groups are brought together at meetings and retreats to design a
strategy to promote their unified involvement in peace and reconciliation activities in the
country. The project also promotes peace building with 1,000 primary and secondary
school children using various techniques such as theatre.

Program Locations
WV is currently operational in two provinces in the northern part of the country, Karuzi
and Muyinga, impacting approximately 804,509 people (12% of the total population of
Burundi). These two provinces were selected as target areas due to their relatively high
rates of poverty. WV has been active in Karuzi for the past five years, and in Muyinga for
the past three years.

InterAction Member Activity Report for 122

Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
December 2003