The African Development Bank, on 28 February 2023 in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, held a consultation meeting with some 20 civil society organizations to evaluate the financial inclusion needs of forcibly displaced people in that country.
The meeting comes ahead of the pilot phase of the Project to Promote the Private Sector and Financial Inclusion of Forcibly Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The primary objective of the consultation was to gather accurate information on IDPs and to ensure that the project addresses their needs. The African Development Bank is supporting the project with roughly $1.4 million.
In his remarks, Victorin Salifou, a digitalization expert at the African Development Bank, said the project would provide technical assistance to support private sector development in areas affected by the forced displacement of Congolese citizens. "By promoting private investment in these areas, the project will help stabilize the socio-economic situation and improve the living conditions of the displaced populations," Salifou stressed.
The Director General of the National Fund for Promotion and Social Service, Alice Mirimo, commended the setting up of this project, urging Congolese civil society actors to contribute to the project's development.
She said the pilot phase would start in the Grand Kasaï province in central DRC before extending to other areas.
Civil society organizations that participated in the workshop stressed the importance of the project and expressed their support for it. Some also commended the participatory approach adopted by the African Development Bank in implementing the project. They stressed the need to consider the financial inclusion of forcibly displaced people, especially women, who urgently need funding and guidance to develop income-generating activities.
Civil society organizations also highlighted the health challenges faced by forcibly displaced people and called for appropriate measures to address them. The issue of education for displaced children and youths was also raised.
"Despite the limited means at their disposal, civil society organizations continue to assist forcibly displaced persons," said Milenge Mwenelwata, head of the Christian mutual aid union, one of the Congolese civil society organizations which support IDPs.
The civil society representatives provided vital perspectives on the issues, challenges and opportunities related to the project.
"The consultation provided a better understanding of the needs of forcibly displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and strengthened the collaboration between the Bank and civil society organizations to better support forcibly displaced people in the DRC," Salifou said.
Conflicts and natural disasters forced the displacement of about 12 million people in sub-Saharan Africa in 2021, with the figure for the DRC standing at nearly three million, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
