CRS and the STaR project: breakthrough hope in Africa’s Lake Chad region

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Conflict and climate change have ravaged Africa’s Lake Chad region, impacting Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

The conflict has led to the destruction of homes, livelihoods and infrastructure, displaced families and exacerbated vulnerabilities. It has also weakened the ability of local governments to respond to citizens’ needs and hindered the recovery of post-conflict communities.

The humanitarian wing of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – has stepped in to help, introducing what it calls the Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region (STaR) Project.

The project aims to help families rebuild their shattered lives and return to their original homes.

“Some of the key achievements include the construction of more than 198 new infrastructures, such as primary schools, health centres, road works, markets and solar water systems – virtually everything that needs to be reconstructed,” said Chris Bleers, head of the party. for Catholic Relief Services’ STaR project in an interview with Crux.

He spoke at length about the successes and challenges of the project, and what phase two aims to achieve.

Below are excerpts from that interview…

Crux: Can you explain the main objectives of the STaR project and how it aims to address the challenges in the Chad Basin?

Bleers: The Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region (STaR) project helps families displaced in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria to rebuild their lives and return to their original homes. Since 2009, these countries have experienced conflicts that have destroyed homes, jobs, schools, farms and other crucial community points. One of our key activities is assessing the needs of these communities and identifying infrastructure destroyed during the conflict that requires reconstruction or rehabilitation.

Now, in Phase II of the project, STaR is implementing support activities such as agriculture, livelihoods, social cohesion and capacity building of local government to promote sustainable development. This means helping equip people with diverse job skills, improving community relations and strengthening local governments through economic development, conflict management and disaster preparedness. By helping families and communities improve their employment opportunities, increase their access to key locations such as schools and community centers, and learn how to reduce conflict, we can help bring stability back to the Chad Basin region.

What are the main achievements of the STaR project since its inception in 2019?

STaR has been very successful in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. Some of the major achievements include the construction of more than 198 new infrastructures, such as primary schools, health centers, roadworks, markets and solar water systems – virtually everything that needs to be reconstructed.

We have also distributed seeds and farming and gardening tools to more than 21,000 farmers, trained more than 12,000 farmers on how to best manage their crops after they are harvested, and helped local communities save more than $688,000 USD for their savings and loan groups.

During an evaluation of Phase I of the project, we also saw strengthened relationships within and between communities and improved local governance. This means that people live together more peacefully. Children can resume their education and families have access to clean water.

How does the project work with local communities to ensure their needs and perspectives are integrated?

The involvement of local communities is essential to the success of any CRS project, and STaR is no exception. To ensure community involvement in decision-making and project acceptance, STaR aims to be relevant and appropriate for addressing the early recovery and stabilization needs of communities affected by conflict.

The project is designed and implemented through a participatory approach involving host communities, refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons. It is also broadly in line with the national development policies and strategies of the Lake Chad Basin countries.

Furthermore, the project promotes gender equality by actively involving both women and men in local communities, ensuring their participation in all project activities. For example, the establishment of self-initiated livelihood groups and the training provided to women, together with their participation in cash-for-work activities, created a platform that supported their families in achieving economic recovery and betterment for their children to assure. .

Can you provide specific examples of how the project has improved access to basic services such as water, healthcare and education, etc.?

The current phase of the STaR project (Phase II) has already shown positive changes, with monitoring data indicating improvements in several areas:

56 different infrastructure projects were built in four countries, including permanent primary schools, health centers, solar water works and road works. In addition, 142 similar infrastructure projects between Nigeria and Niger were completed in Phase I.

Increased participation and income for women through Cash-for-Work schemes, with all 41 projects completed by September 30, 2024.

Growth of the Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) among women, improving access to finance and income-generating activities.

100 percent completion of seed and tool distribution, in addition to training in post-harvest management, aimed at increasing agricultural productivity.

Complete capacity building for youth through technical and vocational education and training, leading to more youth ambassadors for social cohesion.

Developing local governance frameworks and economic plans to strengthen institutional capacities.

Overall, these trends indicate improved community resilience, with a focus on sustainable livelihoods, financial inclusion and social cohesion, with significant positive impacts on women’s economic empowerment and participation.

What are some of the challenges faced in implementing the StaR project, and how are they being addressed?

We face an increasing number of obstacles in our efforts to provide assistance in accordance with international humanitarian law and its principles. Some of these challenges include: Insufficient funding, ensuring STaR project communities receive the support they desperately need; administrative barriers that delay the implementation of essential programming; the imposition of military escorts that blur critical boundaries and restrict access to communities in need; closed borders interrupting supply chains; and first responders are becoming increasingly exposed and targeted.

Despite these challenges, STaR must keep an eye on the big picture: protecting the humanitarian space and unlocking access to people affected by the crisis will have to be crucial priorities for successfully implementing STaR’s contributions to the regional efforts around Lake Chad Basin until 2026.

How does the project measure its impact on stabilization and reconciliation in the region?

To help CRS evaluate how the project is improving people’s lives, STaR has created an inclusive Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system that tracks the progress of our outputs and results. Each project country has a dedicated MEAL team led by a MEAL manager who works closely with the program teams to conduct baseline, interim and final evaluation studies. The aim is to ensure that STaR can effectively measure the impact of our activities on the communities we serve.

What are the future plans or next steps for the StaR project to continue supporting communities in the Chad Basin?

STaR is committed to ensuring the long-term support needed to help communities affected by conflict rebuild their lives and achieve positive and sustainable change. The project has recently received additional funding from the KfW Development Bank for Phase III of the project, which will last until December 31, 2026. In this phase, we will focus even more on placing women, youth and individuals with disabilities in center of our efforts.

STaR will actively encourage communities – especially women, girls, older adults and people with disabilities – to participate in identifying service needs using a gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive approach. This participatory exercise will lead to the development of community infrastructure recovery plans, which will help CRS and communities prioritize the most critical needs. The goal is to improve access to essential services, including safe drinking water, sanitation, public education and health care.

The benefits of this approach are significant: closing the gender gap leads to greater productivity and economic growth; empowering women has positive effects on families, communities and the economy as a whole; addressing gender dynamics in households improves health and nutrition outcomes; and having diverse staff and management results in better overall performance.