CRS and the STaR Project: Pioneering hope in the Lake Chad region of Africa

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Conflict and climate change have blighted the Lake Chad Basin area of Africa, impacting Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

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

The humanitarian wing of the US 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 most significant achievements include building more than 198 new infrastructures, such as primary schools, health centers, roadwork’s, markets, and solar-powered water systems – virtually anything that needs to be reconstructed,” said Chris Bleers, Chief of Party for Catholic Relief Services’ STaR Project in an interview with Crux.

He spoke extensively about the successes and challenges of the project, and what phase two sets out to achieve.

Following are excerpts of that interview…

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

Bleers: The Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region (STaR) project works to help families who have been 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 critical community points. One of our main activities is to assess the needs of these communities and identify the infrastructure that was destroyed during the conflict, which requires reconstruction or rehabilitation.

Now in Phase II of the project, STaR implements supporting activities such as agriculture, livelihoods, social cohesion, and local governance capacity building to promote sustainable development. This means we help give people different job skills, improve community relations, and help strengthen local governments through economic development, conflict mitigation, and disaster readiness. By helping families and communities improve their job opportunities, increase their access to important sites like schools and community centers, and learn how to reduce conflict, we can help bring stability back to the Lake Chad Basin region.

What have been the most significant achievements of the STaR Project since its inception in 2019?

STaR has been very successful across Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. Some of the most significant achievements include building more than 198 new infrastructures, such as primary schools, health centers, roadworks, markets, and solar-powered water systems – virtually anything that needs to be reconstructed.

We’ve also passed out seeds and tools for farming and gardening to more than 21,000 farmers, training more than 12,000 farmers on how to best manage their crops after they have been harvested, and helped local communities save more than $688,000 USD for their savings and loans groups.

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

How does the project engage and collaborate with local communities to ensure their needs and perspectives are incorporated?

The involvement of local communities is vital to the success of any CRS project, and STaR is no exception. To make sure the communities are involved in decision-making and that the project will be accepted, STaR strives to be relevant and appropriate for addressing the early recovery and stabilization needs of communities affected by conflict.

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

Additionally, the project promotes gender equality by actively engaging 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, along with their inclusion in cash-for-work activities, created a platform that supported their families in achieving economic recovery and being able to better provide for their children.

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

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

Fifty-six different infrastructure projects were constructed across four countries, including permanent primary schools, health centers, solar-powered waterworks, and roadworks. Additionally, Phase I saw 142 similar infrastructure projects completed between Nigeria and Niger.

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

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

100 percent completion of seeds and tools distributions, alongside training in post-harvest management, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity.

Completion in capacity-building for young people through Technical and Vocational Education and Training, leading to more Youth Ambassadors for social cohesion.

Development of local governance frameworks and economic plans to strengthen institutional capabilities.

Overall, these trends indicate improved community resilience, focusing 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?

In attempting to deliver relief in line with international humanitarian law and principles, we are running into an ever-growing number of hurdles. Some of these challenges include: Insufficient funding, depriving STaR project communities of the support they sorely need; administrative impediments that slow down the implementation of essential programming; the imposition of military escorts that blur critical lines and reduce access to communities in need; closed borders that interrupt supply chains; and aid workers are increasingly exposed and targeted.

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

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

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

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

STaR is dedicated to ensuring the long-term support needed to help communities affected by conflict rebuild their lives and achieve positive and sustainable change. The project 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 so on placing women, young people, and individuals living with disabilities at the center of our efforts.

STaR will actively encourage communities — particularly women, girls, older adults, and people living 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 Rehabilitation Plans, which will help CRS and the communities prioritize the most critical needs. The goal is to enhance access to essential services, including safe drinking water, sanitation, public education, and healthcare.

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