Quarterly Progress Report: Promoting Land Ownership Certification in Kayogoro and Kibago Districts, Burundi

The project is a continuation of the previous "Promotion of Land Certification" (PCF) project, which was implemented from September 2016 to August 2018. The current project, PCF II, was extended to the Kibago and Kayogoro communes with co-funding from ZOA and EKN, and is implemented by ZOA Burundi with MIPAREC as a subcontractor. The project's main components include land certification, mediation of land conflicts, and increasing awareness of the population on their land rights. The systematic OGR approach is used to identify, register, and certify land plots in Kibago and Kayogoro communes. The OGR approach is carried out in combination with the OIR approach, which will continue to be implemented by the Service Foncier Communale offices (SFC's) in both districts after the project finishes. The target group for the project includes the population of the 49 villages in Kayogoro and Kibago districts, the districts of Kayogoro and Kibago, and the 49 villages/ recognition committees (Commissions de Reconnaissance Collinaire (CRC) in Kayogoro and Kibago). The project aims to increase awareness of land rights and local land conflict resolution mechanisms among the target population. During the reporting period of October 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2019, the project implemented various activities to increase awareness of land rights and local land conflict resolution mechanisms. These activities included sensitization meetings at the village level, training of extension workers, and establishment of sketch groups to raise awareness among the population. A total of 22,955 persons participated in these sensitization activities, with 11,924 men and 11,031 women. The project also identified 3,174 land conflicts during the recognition phase of land registration, with conflicts of boundaries being the most frequent type. The project established community structures in charge of land conflict mediation, known as CRC committees, which were trained on the process of conflict mediation. During the reporting period, 3,818 people addressed their land conflicts to the CRCs. The project's implementation was disrupted in September 2019 due to insufficient co-funding, but activities resumed in October 2019. The project staff were sent home during the month of September 2019, but work resumed in October 2019. The project's activities during the reporting period focused on sensitization of the population on the land certification process, resolving land conflicts, registration of land using the systematic approach (OGR), and the establishment and issuing of land certificates. The project's results during the reporting period indicate an increase in awareness of land rights and local land conflict resolution mechanisms among the target population. The project's activities have also led to the identification of land conflicts and the establishment of community structures in charge of land conflict mediation. However, the project's implementation was disrupted in September 2019, and the project staff were sent home during that month.