In March 2021, the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) closed one of the longest-running, multi-sectoral resilience activities in the Sahel, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel-Enhanced Resilience (REGIS-ER) project. As USAID’s flagship RISE I activity, REGIS-ER laid the foundation for the next decade of sustained resilience investments and demonstrated what’s possible when communities work together to build self-reliance and solve challenges.
This seven-year activity addressed the root causes of persistent vulnerabilities in Burkina Faso and Niger, including recurrent shocks and stresses. In collaboration with communities, REGIS-ER integrated sustainable livelihoods; natural resource management; governance; and health and nutrition interventions to increase the capacity of households and communities to cope with and recover from recurrent crises.
To celebrate the impact and legacy of REGIS-ER, NCBA CLUSA and the RISE II Sahel Collaboration and Communication presented a closeout webinar series that highlighted project impacts and pitfalls, key findings from the final evaluation and featured lessons learned and adaptations made over seven years of implementation. The discussions engaged staff, stakeholders, government partners and USAID representatives to reflect on three elements critical to the project’s success and its future sustainability: Habbanaye, Local Conventions and Citizen Working Groups.
Our second webinar in this closeout series focuses on Habbanayé, one of the flagship activities promoted by REGIS-ER. Habbanayé is a livestock asset-building activity that helps communities prepare for and recover from shocks and stressors, breaking the cycle of humanitarian crisis and response. The activity involves lending a female goat to a community member—usually women or vulnerable households. After one or more reproductive cycles, the animal is returned to its owner, but the recipient rears the offspring, which provide milk and meat for the household or, in the event of a shock, a source of income to meet family needs. The cycle continues as new animals are born, distributing the wealth of livestock throughout the community. During this webinar, our panelists discuss the impact of Habbanayé on enhancing resilience by building sustainable social safety nets in Burkina Faso and Niger.
Our third webinar in this closeout series focuses on Local Conventions, one of the key pillars of REGIS-ER’s impact. Local Conventions are community-developed natural resources management plans that promote equitable and sustainable management of resources, improve soil fertility and reduce conflicts rooted in competition for scarce resources. REGIS-ER’s work around Local Conventions built on the community-led practice of natural resources management in Niger and Burkina Faso, but went beyond resource inventory and management to center participatory and inclusive governance. By building consensus among groups and local ownership of natural resources management, REGIS-ER helped communities create sustainable livelihoods rooted in their farmland, pastures, forests and water supply. During this webinar, our panelists discuss how Local Conventions empower vulnerable groups, how the model impacts long-term resilience, and share lessons learned and recommendations.
During our final webinar, we highlight citizen working groups, a community governance model that formalizes locally-led development and institutional capacity-building. Early in the project, REGIS-ER noticed there were limited avenues for civil society actors to formally engage with local government. In response, REGIS-ER worked with community groups and commune government to form 15 citizen working groups in Burkina Faso and Niger that support 1,200 villages. Officially recognized by municipal councils, these groups foster dialogue and accountability between communities and local government as they work together to create positive change. As trusted and vital community institutions, citizen working groups help implement sustainable solutions to local challenges that are integrated into broader regional and national development plans. Our panelists provide insights into the success of sustaining locally-led development efforts in both countries. We also hear from the Mayor of Barsalogho, one of the communes involved in the citizen working group intervention.
