Cross-border Opportunities for Migration, Peace, and Self-Sustenance (COMPASS)

Good Practices

Cross-border Opportunities for Migration, Peace, and Self-Sustenance (COMPASS)

Women sit in a circle with their arms raised

Women therapy session: Women participating in a therapeutic session for mental health and psychosocial support in Ngomorormoro, Lamwo district, as they engage in a journey towards well-being and resilience.

©Victor Wahome

The project in brief

The project is implemented by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Uganda and South Sudan and the Community Development Support Services (CDSS) in South Sudan. It began in July 2022 and is ending in December 2024.

This good practice aims to enhance the self-reliance of refugees and displaced populations while easing pressure on host or receiving communities. It employs innovative and integrated cross-border programming to underpin learning for more effective approaches. The practice also seeks to strengthen the capacity of cross-border authorities and displacement-affected communities to assess needs, identify root causes and key actors, and devise sustainable solutions for peace, security, and development. 

The overarching goal is to support refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host/receiving communities. This support focuses on providing livelihoods and protection, improving service delivery, and contributing to refugees' and returnees' path towards durable solutions.

Main activities of the Good Practice

This good practice involved a series of consultative meetings with community representatives (including chiefs, youth, and women) and cross-border authorities. These meetings culminated in jointly drafting a working agreement, ratified by representatives of local governments from affected regions in Uganda and South Sudan. The focus then shifted to disseminating the agreement to concerned communities on both sides of the border through awareness-raising campaigns.
 
Engagements between officials from both countries were facilitated, with innovative approaches to maintain momentum. These included structured civic education aimed at cultivating a sense of common heritage between communities on both sides of the border, transcending cultural or tribal differences. Refugees in settlements received constant feedback about their homeland situation, with a continuous focus on building consensus among various actors.
 
Regular capacity-building sessions on human rights, refugee rights, and regional border management protocols were conducted for border officials from both countries. These engagements aimed to build commitment towards resolving community strife. Models for addressing violence triggers in real-time were developed and operationalized.
 
The COMPASS project partners supported displacement-affected communities by exploring ways to facilitate distant cross-border farming and supporting Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The savings of these VSLAs increased, positively impacting economic status at household and group levels.
 
To prepare more sustainable conditions for return, the COMPASS project supported improved delivery of integrated basic services in South Sudan. This comprehensive approach addressed both immediate needs and long-term solutions for displacement-affected communities in the cross-border region.
 
A man smiles at a child sitting on the floor as he tends to his chickens

Elements which helped facilitate the implementation of the good practice

Strong local ownership: The project demonstrated excellent commitment to local ownership. Authorities, government technical departments, local leaders, and community members (including both host and displaced populations, with prioritized women's representation) were intensely involved in planning, delivery, monitoring, and decision-making throughout implementation.
 
A governance structure (the Local Project Advisory Committee (LPAC)): This recognized structure comprises of representatives from relevant authorities of displacement-affected populations, the EU Delegation, UN agencies, civil society organizations with expertise in forced displacement, and refugee, returnee, and IDP-led CBOs active in the project's implementation context. The committee plays a key role in advising and coordinating efforts with project implementing partners, as well as identifying and assessing good practices and promoting the learning The LPAC has been particularly successful, highly respected, and acknowledged as crucial in facilitating high-level local engagement, managing community expectations, and resolving conflicts during implementation. Its regularly scheduled advisory meetings ensure consistent follow-up and provide a built-in stakeholder management and communications arrangement, increasing the sense of inclusive ownership among authorities, leaders, and stakeholders. The LPAC's membership spans local leadership and target population representation, among others.
 
Partnering with the university: The project effectively leveraged university expertise, which contributed by providing training and research, disseminating research findings, and documenting the project's learning.

Partners involved

  • Makerere University’s Centre for Health and Social Economic Improvement (CHASE-i)
  •  EU funded and UNOPS managed Lives in Dignity Grant Facility
  • Magwi County, South Sudan.
  • Ikwoto County, South Sudan
  • Budi County, South Sudan
  • Lamwo district, Uganda
  • Office of the Prime Minister - Uganda
  • Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner - South Sudan.

What challenges were encountered in delivering the project and how were they overcome?

Challenges

  1. Women's Engagement in Peacebuilding: A significant gap in women's involvement in peacebuilding efforts was identified. Participants emphasized the need for more formal and inclusive integration of women in peacebuilding processes.
  2. Cross-border violence: The unsettled agreement about the international border between Uganda and South Sudan is causing tension and mistrust between district and county civil authorities and security units. While the cross-border working agreement has been praised for supporting safe and voluntary returns to South Sudan, local authorities, the Local Project Advisory Committee (LPAC), and community stakeholders express concerns about potential relapse into intercommunal and cross-border violence if the project ends as planned in December 2024. There are fears this could lead to rights abuses for people in transit.
  3. Agricultural Challenges: Horticulture production was found to be ineffective in easing food security issues. Horticulture crops are delicate, highly susceptible to negative climate changes, and require substantial attention and resources to manage. Farmers noted these crops are particularly vulnerable to adverse weather patterns and need constant, reliable water supply and optimal temperatures, which are costly for displacement-affected persons to maintain.

How they were overcome

  1. Prioritizing Women and Youth in Peacebuilding: The learning that emerged emphasizes the importance of meaningful inclusion of women and youth at all levels for achieving quality and durable peace. Peacebuilding interventions should intentionally address norms and stereotypes that block women's full participation. In Palabek Refugee Settlement and Magwi county, women are now engaged in cross-border peacebuilding dialogues. The project halted dialogues in Warigo until women and youth were meaningfully involved, which contributed to the success of two cross-border dialogues. In Ikwoto and Budi, women and youth contribute significantly to inter-communal peace interventions. LPAC, youth, women, and local authorities have been engaged to consider women's participation in cross-border peace initiatives.
  2. Improving Safety and Protection in border areas: To enhance safety and protection of displacement-affected persons, 222 community leaders, border, district/county authorities were involved in protection and human rights training facilitated by LWF, CDSS, and Makerere University's CHASE-i. However, more meaningful cross-border engagement is recommended to promote peace and security. County, LPAC, and community stakeholders also recommended continuous cross-border engagements.
  3. Adapting Livelihood Programming: Due to challenges with horticultural production, livelihood programming should focus on encouraging farmers to grow drought-resistant crops, such as groundnut foundational seed and soybeans. In Ngmoromo and Palabek Refugee settlement, farmers supported with 55 kgs of Groundnut foundational seeds achieved a harvest of 536 kgs of unshelled groundnuts per group, attributed to the seed's drought and pest resistant capacity. However, given the benefits of horticulture, the project is encouraging household-level horticulture production.
 
A woman tending to her garden looks up at the camera

Results of the Good Practice

  • Improved security on both sides of the border, at border crossings and in the communities.
  • Increased socio-economic well-being among displacement-affected persons.
  • Increased participation of women and youth in peace and security engagements.
  • Increased feeling of safety and human rights at border crossings and within communities.
  • Improved livelihood opportunities for displacement-affected populations.
  • Improved access to integrated basic services.
  • An increase in income-generating opportunities for displacement-affected persons.

In what way does the good practice meet one or more of the four objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees?

Objective 1: Ease the pressures on host countries

This good practice aligns with three objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees. It eases pressure on Uganda as a host country through work in refugee settlements, host communities, and supporting safe voluntary return to South Sudan. The project supported the construction and rehabilitation of schools, provided desks and WASH facilities as long-term strategic solutions for displacement-affected persons (DAPs). This increased school enrollment, reducing returns to camps/refugee settlements. To ensure sustainability, the project trained teachers and school management committees on classroom management, committee roles, protection, PSEA, peacebuilding, and child safeguarding to protect children's rights, prevent conflicts, and maintain school facilities. These efforts collectively contribute to creating more stable and supportive environments for displaced populations and host communities alike.

Objective 2: Enhance refugee self-reliance

The project enhances refugee self-reliance through livelihood and protection activities such as farming, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), Income Generating Activities (IGA), and vocational skills training. The project addressed land-related conflicts between host communities and refugees/returnees/IDPs through dialogues, organizing farmers into groups, and establishing mechanisms for acquiring farmland. Technical training for youth and financial support for VSLA and IGA groups provided alternative livelihood opportunities, reducing demand for farmland.

Objective 4: Support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity

The project supports conditions in South Sudan for safe and dignified return through protection, livelihood activities, and improved delivery of integrated basic services. Peacebuilding efforts, cross-border engagements, and training of peace committees and border authorities resulted in agreements with communication, coordination, and referral mechanisms for the safe movement of displacement-affected persons (DAPs). 

Next steps

Project Relevance and Future Steps: The project's relevance attracted high expectations from the community and local authorities. Next steps involve potential transition of LPAC and relevant authorities to lead three outcome components: implementing cross-border and local peace agreements to ensure protection and freedom of movement for displacement-affected persons, delivering integrated services, and scaling up livelihood interventions. This includes creating links with private sector, agricultural suppliers, and banks for ongoing agricultural activities.
 
LPAC Sustainability and Adoption: Partners are advocating for LPAC to be adopted by other projects within and outside LWF/CDSS. To ensure LPAC's sustainability beyond the project, sub-program authorities should encourage its adoption by other projects. LWF has included LPAC as an innovation in recent proposals. CDSS and LWF plan to engage authorities to promote LPAC adoption by other humanitarian and development organizations. Local governments have agreed to mainstream the implementation of the working agreement in government activities.
 
Cross-Border Interventions and VSLA Approach: The project's work on promoting cross-border peace, security, and safety of displacement-affected persons is commendable and needs to be sustained. Local government authorities are encouraging other agencies to build on the COMPASS project's work to ensure its sustainability. The COMPASS project's approach of training farmers and VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Association) groups on VSLA principles and management is expected to continue, as community members are equipped with knowledge and skills to steer their own development. VSLA members can access credit for business, and the model can be replicated by returnees in their country of origin.

Are there areas in which support would be required to continue and/or scale up your good practice?

Cross-border Engagements: Conflicts along the borders persist, requiring scalable engagements. There is a need for structured engagements at the national level or involvement of relevant national authorities in local cross-border engagements. This ensures complementarity of roles and open information sharing aimed at addressing cross-border concerns.
 
Integrated Services: Displacement-affected persons adopt back-and-forth movement as a survival strategy along borders due to the lack of basic services such as education, WASH, and health. Investing in integrated services in the country of return offers impactful solutions and facilitates voluntary return of displaced persons. Many children are separated from their parents to access education, studying in camps like Palabek and Kakuma in Uganda and Kenya while their parents remain in South Sudan. Vocational schools offer skills training to school dropouts and practical skills to youth who haven't attended school, enabling them to get jobs or create self-employment opportunities.
 
VSLA Approach: The Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) approach is a powerful strategy for financially empowering women, improving household savings, and addressing basic expenses. Through VSLA, single female parents are able to meet food, school, and medical bills for their children and families, making it a worthwhile investment. This approach contributes significantly to the financial stability and independence of women in displacement-affected communities.

Submitted by

  • Paul Orikushaba, Head of Program, Lutheran World Federation (LWF) - Uganda
  • Peter Lujana, Executive Director, Community Development Support Services(CDSS)-South Sudan
  • Hakim Paride, Project Manager, COMPASS Project, Community Development Support Service(CDSS)-South Sudan

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