Knowledge and access to the local context places local actors better to respond to a crisis.

When COVID-19 hit, Caritas Bouar in the Central African Republic faced a series of challenges to reach the communities they serve. Resources and transportation were limited.

Diocesan Secretary Aurelio Gazzera emphasised how their network of local partners was essential in delivering humanitarian assistance during this period. The 45-day period they were given by the Start Fund to implement a COVID-19 response benefited their organisation to be more capacitated in rapid response.

Start Network’s mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action. Through locally led action, we are able to provide early and effective responses when and before crises strike.

The Local Partner Voices Podcast captures the thought-provoking perspectives of various humanitarian actors and local organisations we have worked with throughout the years.

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La connaissance et l'accès au contexte local permettent aux acteurs locaux de mieux réagir à une crise.

Lorsque le COVID-19 a frappé, Caritas Bouar, en République centrafricaine, a dû relever une série de défis pour atteindre les communautés qu'elle sert. Les ressources et les moyens de transport étaient limités. 

Le Secrétaire diocésain Aurelio Gazzera a souligné combien leur réseau de partenaires locaux était essentiel pour fournir l'aide humanitaire pendant cette période. La période de 45 jours qui leur a été accordée par le Start Fund pour mettre en œuvre une réponse COVID-19 a permis à leur organisation d'être plus compétente en matière de réponse rapide.

La mission de Start Network est de créer une nouvelle ère d'action humanitaire. Grâce à une action menée localement, nous sommes en mesure d'apporter des réponses précoces et efficaces avant et pendant les crises.

Le podcast Local Partner Voices présente les points de vue stimulants de divers acteurs humanitaires et organisations locales avec lesquels nous avons travaillé au fil des ans.

En savoir plus sur Caritas en RCA

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Religion and belief can be influential in delivering assistance. It is, however, crucial to have representation from different beliefs to facilitate a participatory process.

Andre Bizoza is the Executive Secretary at RCBIF* in Burundi. He explains the role of religion in implementing humanitarian activities across the country. He narrates the process of recipient selection within the community and how everyone has to agree on the criteria. This strengthens the demand for participatory process that is inclusive and conclusive.

Start Network’s mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action. Through locally led action, we are able to provide early and effective responses when and before crises strike.

The Local Partner Voices Podcast captures the thought-provoking perspectives of various humanitarian actors and local organisations we have worked with throughout the years.

*RCBIF: Réseau des Confessions Religieuses pour la promotion de la Santé et le Bien Être Intégral de la Famille

Learn more about RCBIF

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La religion et les croyances peuvent avoir une influence sur la fourniture de l'aide. Il est cependant crucial d'avoir une représentation de différentes croyances pour faciliter un processus participatif.

André Bizoza est le secrétaire exécutif du RCBIF au Burundi. Il explique le rôle de la religion dans la mise en œuvre des activités humanitaires dans le pays. Il raconte le processus de sélection des bénéficiaires au sein de la communauté et comment tout le monde doit se mettre d'accord sur les critères. Cela renforce la demande d'un processus participatif qui soit inclusif et concluant.

La mission de Start Network est de créer une nouvelle ère d'action humanitaire. Grâce à une action menée localement, nous sommes en mesure d'apporter des réponses précoces et efficaces avant et pendant les crises.

Le podcast Local Partner Voices présente les points de vue stimulants de divers acteurs humanitaires et organisations locales avec lesquels nous avons travaillé au fil des ans.

*RCBIF : Réseau des Confessions Religieuses pour la promotion de la Santé et le Bien Être Intégral de la Famille

En savoir plus sur le RCBIF

Accéder à la transcription de l'épisode en anglais, français et espagnol

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Mobilising community-based actors allow for more efficient and effective humanitarian interventions.

Lynn Walker is the Director of Tree of Life Trust in Zimbabwe. Her organisation works with violence and trauma survivors through collective healing processes. In 2019, they worked with Start Network members to provide psycho-social first aid to survivors of civil unrest during the Zimbabwe elections.

Lynn shares how working in a consortium with international humanitarian organisations with years of experience in rapid response help build their capacities in times of crisis. Tree of Life Trust complemented this partnership through their network of community volunteers who they were able to mobilise even in hard-to-reach areas.

Start Network’s mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action. Through locally led action, we are able to provide early and effective responses when and before crises strike.

The Local Partner Voices Podcast captures the thought-provoking perspectives of various humanitarian actors and local organisations we have worked with throughout the years.

Communities and survivors should be first and center in developing any crisis response.

Nanette Antequisa shares the community-led and participatory approaches they do at ECOWEB, a local non-profit organisation in the Philippines where she acts as the Executive Director. In 2017, together with Start Network members, ECOWEB led a conflict response wherein they co-designed the response activities with survivors and partner communities.

Nanette describes how their partner communities appreciate the participatory approaches they introduced as they feel more seen and included.

Start Network’s mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action. Through locally led action, we are able to provide early and effective responses when and before crises strike.

The Local Partner Voices Podcast captures the thought-provoking perspectives of various humanitarian actors and local organisations we have worked with throughout the years.

Shift in power means a shift in mindset within the humanitarian sector.

For our pilot episode, we speak with Muluneh Tesfaye, Executive Grant Director at Caritas Ethiopia who took part in Start Network’s Shifting the Power Disaster Emergency Preparedness Programme in 2017.

Muluneh points out how the Grand Bargain as a framework is helpful to improve ways of working in the sector but more action from humanitarian actors should be demanded to actualise localisation and increase access to funding.

Start Network’s mission is to create a new era of humanitarian action. Through locally led action, we are able to provide early and effective responses when and before crises strike.

The Local Partner Voices Podcast captures the thought-provoking perspectives of various humanitarian actors and local organisations we have worked with throughout the years.

In 2021, our Evidence and Learning Team interviewed representatives from five local organisations who had partnered with Start Network members on crisis response or anticipation.

This was organised as follow-up to a local partner survey in 2020, that aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities for collaborative and equal partnerships between Start Network, our members and local partners.

Local Partner Voices captures some NGOs' perspectives on how Shifting the Power to them impacts their collaboration with communities on the frontlines of crises and with multilateral humanitarian organisations.

New episodes available every Wednesday (over the next five weeks).