The Democratic Republic of the Congo Hub

2021 Progress

In 2021, the DRC Hub strengthened its governance structure, which included preparing for its legal registration. The DRC Hub also utilised Start Network’s Hub Incubation Fund to prepare proposals and applications that would strengthen its fundraising capacity. This initiative came after a constituent assembly that validated the hub’s administrative and financial manual, membership protocols, and statutes.

By increasing its fundraising capacity, the DRC Hub was able to access funding in 2021 from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the French Development Agency. With this funding, the hub was able to develop a humanitarian innovation programme, which engages communities in designing and testing new ways of addressing humanitarian challenges, and a disaster risk financing programme that combines local and scientific knowledge to understand risks, plan ahead and minimise the impacts of predictable disasters.

Aligned with its mission of amplifying local voices, the hub established five platforms across crisis-affected provinces, integrating the hub and local organisations into these platforms’ humanitarian structure. Through this initiative, around 150 local organisations, many of them who are not members of Start Network, will be able to participate in hub activities and influence the wider discussion of humanitarian issues and concerns in each province.

Future plans

During the coming year, the DRC Hub plans to:

• Support resilient communities by developing a disaster risk financing system and a community-led innovation programme targeting communities living in volcanic and flood-prone areas.
• Become a legally registered entity in the DRC, enabling it to develop deeper relationships with authorities, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Establish a secretariat to deliver the vision of the hub leadership and support deeper engagement with members and organisations across the DRC. 
• Continue to drive advocacy around locally led action through engagement with humanitarian organisations in the DRC and globally, while supporting local actors to have a greater voice and more visibility.
• Onboard more national NGOs as members and increase local actors’ access to resources.

THE HUB LEADERSHIP IN DR CONGO

Cecile Kasoki, ActionAid

Yves Ngunzi Kahashi, CAFOD

Anuarite Kabuo, MIDEFEHOPS ASBL

Gang Karume Augustin, Rebuild Hope for Africa 

Saah Nyambe Lebreton, Trocaire

Kasika Kibatsi, Humanitarian Affairs Division, DRC Government

Deocard Murhambo, Start Network