The Legacy Continues: What the BMZ and RET Germany Project Left behind in North Kivu, D.R. Congo
Photo © RET Germany
Article by RET Germany Global Communications
NORTH KIVU, D.R. CONGO – A project can end. Its effects, not. More than a year after the official closure of the multisectoral project financed by BMZ in eastern D.R. Congo, RET Germany teams remain present on the ground, in particular to continue the prevention and resolution of land conflicts alongside local communities and authorities. This continuity illustrates a commitment that does not end at the end date of a financing contract.
On the ground, the evidence is mounting. In Mukohwa, Masisi territory, the Village Peace Committee (CVP) set up by the project continues to operate autonomously, without direct financial support from RET. The former community focal point himself recently testified to this, sharing the results achieved by this committee long after the end of funding.
In Ngwenda, in Rutshuru territory, the partner organisation Caritas chose to mobilize the members of the CVP and the agricultural cooperative created by the project to form a new conflict resolution team in the neighboring village – rather than starting from scratch. The recognition of the strength of this local structure by an external actor is in itself a measure of sustainability.
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The agricultural cooperative of Ngwenda, for its part, continues its activities and records significant harvests. And the local partner FDAPID continues to support these cooperatives, providing a relay after the departure of RET.
Together, these examples tell the same story: when a project invests in community structures and local partners rather than temporary solutions, the results endure. This is precisely why continued support to this region of North Kivu and Ituri remains essential.
Photos © RET Germany
This project, “Multisectoral support for the sustainable improvement of the food situation and the peaceful and inclusive coexistence of conflict-affected populations in eastern DRC (Ituri and North Kivu)”, was funded by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and implemented by RET Germany in collaboration with its local partners ACPEJ, FDAPID and PAP-DRC in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri from September 2021 to August 2025.
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