Burundi P2P – FY 2020 Q4 Program Performance Report

The program, known locally as Turi Kumwe ("We Are Together"), was awarded to Counterpart International by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in August 2020. The program's main activities during the reporting quarter focused on the startup phase, including the submission of the FY 21 Draft Workplan to USAID, contracting and recruitment of Key Personnel, procurement processes for new vendors, negotiations with sub-partner Jumelage Jeunesse pour le Bien-être des enfants et des jeunes (JJB), and drafting of the FY 21 Annual Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP). The security situation in Burundi remained stable during the reporting quarter, with no significant incidents affecting the program. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the country, with a total of 485 confirmed cases as of September 25, 2020. The airport and borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda remained closed, but no other restrictive measures were in place. The new Government of Burundi has made refugee return a priority, with over 10,000 refugees returning to Burundi since July 2020, including over 1,000 from Rwanda for the first time since the 2015 crisis. However, conditions are not fully conducive to sustainable reintegration, mainly due to the lack of adequate basic social services and the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will support returnee reintegration by including returnees as a priority group in Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) and leading dialogues around social cohesion and the reintegration of returnees. The program will also work to capture critical indicator data and learning from project activities through the FY 21 MELP. Counterpart faced challenges in identifying suitable office space in Bujumbura due to budget limitations and procuring laptops through local suppliers who need to order abroad due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19. The program plans to sign a sub-award with its CSO partner, JJB, and begin holding activities at the start of Q1 of FY21. The program will also implement the Organizational Development baseline assessment for JJB and complete the Missing Voice and rapid Political Economy analyses to ensure conflict sensitivity and social inclusion of all beneficiaries.