The province of South Kivu is encountering difficulties in the execution of the work of the Development Program of the 145 territories (PDL-145T) according to a report by the coordination of Civil Society. The PDL-145T, which is supposed to contribute to the reduction of inequalities between rural and urban areas as well as poverty, seems to lack visibility. The local population and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reportedly opposed the relocation of certain buildings. The companies involved in the work do not take local labor into account and some worksites are even at a standstill due to lack of funding. For Civil Society, a strong involvement of local communities is necessary to restore visibility to this program.
Overall, the involvement of local communities has been minimal, resulting in insufficient communication between the population and the companies selected by UNDP. Local labor is also ignored, which undermines the relevance of the program. The delays in the work are due to several reasons, including the lack of funding and coordination between the different parties involved. It is regrettable to note that even the agricultural component, which was to include the rehabilitation of agricultural feeder roads and the promotion of the value chain, has not started.
Faced with these challenges, strong involvement of local communities is recommended to restore visibility to the program and ensure that the PDL-145T does not fail in its development objectives for the territories. It is also important to strengthen the supervision of the DRC Ministry of Planning to avoid any major changes in the project that could divert the program from its main objective.