REGIS-ER Quarterly Report: April – June, 2015

The Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced or RISE is a United States Government strategy that aims to strengthen resilience in vulnerable populations in the Sahel so that crisis-based humanitarian assistance is required less frequently. The REGISER project is one of the USAID partners carrying out the RISE strategy.

USAID defines resilience as the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses so they become less chronically vulnerable and more able to achieve inclusive growth. The overall objective of USAID|REGIS-ER is to increase the resilience of chronically vulnerable populations in marginal agriculture and pastoral zones in the Sahel regions of Niger and Burkina Faso. In the broader context, USAID investments in resilience seek to address the root causes of this chronic vulnerability through nutrition-led agriculture and livestock rearing, better health and hygiene, stronger governance and natural resource management, and awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation to them.

Highlights

  • In spite of long-term contact between beneficiaries and humanitarian projects that tends to reduce adoption of resilience activities, CF and BDL have been well-received and actively pursued in our zones.
  • Community-based solution providers (CBSP) are beginning to contribute substantially to project performance results through techniques and technologies being promoted with sustainability in mind.
  • Local Conventions are being implemented in three communes of Niger and two in Burkina Faso.
  • Disaster risk management training has begun and the partnership with World Food Programme has been realized through field activities now underway.
  • Husband Schools and Safe Spaces are being set up and Mother-to-Mother groups are meeting as platforms for adoption of best health, nutrition, and hygiene practices.
  • The outgoing Chief of Party and Finance and Administration Director handed over their posts to newly hired staff in an orderly way.

Points of Convergence

  • FFP partnership and collaboration were strengthened as the U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso visited ViM project sites in Kaya.
  • REGIS-ER teams contributed to value chain studies and regional workshops carried out with REGIS-AG.
  • Livelihoods and Governance components worked together on securing land tenure for growing crops, doing combined technical training in farmer-managed natural regeneration and conservation farming
  • Governance and Health Components worked together on integrating nutritious plants into farmer-managed natural regeneration and preventing malnutrition through improved biofortified seed and oil.
  • Four REGIS-ER staff members took part in the “make me a vector of change” workshop held by Save the Children in Maradi.
  • Health and Governance Components identified 460 pregnant and breastfeeding women along with 712 children who are eligible to receive WFP assistance during the hungry period between March and July.
  • The Project is actively participating in health sector regional meetings and was in charge of organizing the district health meeting in Filingué this quarter.

Lessons Learned

  • After more than one year of intervention in the Sahel, it has become clear that every opportunity must be taken to speak with the beneficiaries about the resilience approach and the need for them to commit to be the main actors in their own development.
  • Grant applications and payments to communities must be made in a timely way for soil and water conservation work.
  • BDL or bioreclamation of degraded lands is being re-oriented toward agricultural production as an objective of water harvesting.
  • Partnerships with other organizations will help to increase results achieved for indicators.
  • Regional teams need to be trained in all aspects of project activities.
  • Community health platforms (MtM, EdM, and Safe Space) require close supervision especially at the startup of activities. To assure that they function correctly, a system for supervision must be set up using local community resource persons.

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