VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKI #0526/01 1651052
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131052Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8122
INFO RUEHLS/AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 1461
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0051
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 4813
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 4660
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0713
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2164

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/AFR, GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREF EAID UNHCR CG
SUBJECT:  WOMEN FOR WOMEN DRC: MONITORING AND EVALUATION 
ASSESSMENT - COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SPRMCO07CA150 
 
¶1.  The following monitoring and evaluation report assesses 
Cooperative Agreement SPRMCO07CA150 for $234,015 awarded to Women 
for Women (WFW) to support its program "Stronger Women, Stronger 
Nations:  Ending Violence Against Women in Eastern Congo."  RefCoord 
met with WFW National Director Christine Karumba May 20 and 
subsequently discussed its programs with Adele Safi, head of Synergy 
Against Sexual Violence in South Kivu, and Deo Bahizire, Sexual and 
Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) coordinator, UNFPA sub office, Bukavu. 
 
 
Overview 
-------- 
 
¶2.  WFW met or exceeded many of the goals set for the program during 
the reporting period.  Although difficulties associated with travel 
in the DRC prevented WFW from closely following all activities of 
the health centers supported by the program, it maintained 
sufficient control over operations to ensure that grant requirements 
were fulfilled or surpassed. 
 
¶3.  Goal A:  Match with sponsors 1,200 of the most socially-excluded 
women returned refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 
other vulnerable women in South Kivu's Fizi territory. 
 
-- WFW was successful is finding sponsors for the majority of the 
Fizi territory caseload.  The program provided financial and other 
support for displaced women and created psycho-social conditions 
needed to encourage successful reintegration by the returnees and 
their communities. 
 
¶4.  Goal B:  Provide each of the 1,200 women with rights awareness 
and leadership education. 
 
-- WFW developed rights and justice materials and media for 
distribution to returned refugee sponsors.  Using outside resources, 
WFW incorporated best practices into their campaign to distribute 
and create informational material for illiterate beneficiaries. 
 
¶5.  Goal C:  Provide 1,200 of the most socially-excluded women, 
particularly returnees, refugees and IDPs from Fizi territory, with 
training in vocational skills and business development. 
 
-- Goal C continued:  Provide support to PRM beneficiary 
populations, particularly women and children, who have experienced 
GBV during flight, in camps, or on arrival in their home countries 
or countries of asylum, to ensure their access to basic protection 
and assistance regarding the violence experienced and whether 
comprehensive services, including referral, are available for GBV 
survivors. 
 
-- All WFW programming incorporated care for SGBV survivors.  WFW 
was careful to ensure that assistance did not identify survivors or 
violate their right to privacy.  Working with health care 
professionals, WFW identified vulnerable women and reached out to 
them. 
 
¶6.  Goal D:  Train and educate 550 male community and traditional 
leaders about the impact of GBV on the community. 
 
-- WFW trained in excess of 550 male community leaders on the impact 
of SGBV.  Training was devised to foster men's leadership in 
preventing sexual violence, and mitigating the social impact of rape 
on families and communities.  Male participation in these programs 
was still difficult to achieve.  WFW takes an approach that does not 
accuse or alienate men.  UNFPA found that WFW was successful in 
including men, as trainees and trainers, at all levels in their 
programming. 
 
¶7.  Goal E:  Strengthen community structures to better respond to 
violence against women by changing attitudes and perceptions of 
sexual violence and women's rights. 
 
-- Safi of Synergy Against Sexual Violence in South Kivu said that 
WFW is the only international organization in the region that 
assists victims of sexual violence directly.  WFW also trained and 
assisted local government officials on issues of integrating male 
and female victims of sexual violence into their new homes.  She 
appreciated its work and said it had been very successful. 
 
-- WFW heads Synergy's socio-economic reintegration activities in 
South Kivu.  Safi said that WFW has trained many victims and 
vulnerable women in different vocational and development skills; 
many are now running their own businesses.  WFW helps women to be 
self-sufficient and lessen their dependence on others.  Safi said 
 
that trainees continue activities after they graduate from WFW 
programs. 
 
Core questions 
-------------- 
 
¶8.  PRM Goals:  WFW training programs build the capacity of local 
government and social leaders, providing basic skills necessary to 
support integration of vulnerable members of society.  Through 
livelihood training, vulnerable individuals, including survivors of 
multiple sexual assaults, are better able to reintegrate into their 
communities.  Their economic activities, even if not immediately 
profitable, help raise their status in the community from that of 
victims to full members. 
 
¶9.  Complementarity:  WFW works closely with UNHCR and all 
implementing partners.  Programming is flexible and can address the 
immediate concerns of refugees and partners.  WFW works as an active 
partner with local mental health authorities and regional 
governments to ensure staff is sensitive to the needs of SGBV 
survivors. 
 
¶10.  Program objectives:  WFW surpassed the desired objectives for 
this program cycle.  A significant measure of its success was WFW's 
selection to lead Synergy's socio-economic reintegration programming 
in South Kivu. 
 
¶11.  Operational efficiency, management, and communication:  WFW 
records are well-maintained and its director is clearly in control 
of staffing and programming.  WFW appears to be, dollar for dollar, 
the best SGBV programming investment PRM has made in Eastern Congo. 
 
Control and monitoring 
---------------------- 
 
¶12.  The WFW office in Bukavu exercises close monitoring of the 
operations.  Staff communicates with Bukavu through the UN 
communications network. 
 
¶13.  WFW Bukavu communicates regularly with PRM office in Kampala. 
The program office is responsive and provides regular updates. 
 
Security and protection 
----------------------- 
 
¶14.  South Kivu is a high threat area.  Access to parts of Eastern 
Congo is difficult and dangerous.  However, there were no specific 
security concerns for WFW staff during the quarter.  (Note:  In the 
past, some women activists have been threatened by community 
leaders.  End note.) 
 
Future funding 
-------------- 
 
¶15.  RefCoord supports future funding for WFW livelihood and SGBV 
programs in FY2009.  UNHCR will consider expanding WFW-type 
programming in 2009-10.  RefCoord recommends considering WFW as a 
trainer for other UNHCR partners in sponsorship and training 
programs in South and North Kivu. 
 
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