The Karamoja ABC Scaling Facility is an initiative by the UNDP Africa Borderlands Centre that seeks to enhance resilience for communities along the Uganda-Kenya border. The program focuses on economic diversification, peacebuilding, and infrastructure improvements to tackle climate impacts, economic challenges, and insecurity. Its success may serve as a model for similar initiatives in other border regions throughout Africa.
The Karamoja Scaling Facility, a new initiative launched by the UNDP Africa Borderlands Centre, aims to enhance resilience among agropastoralist communities in the fragile borderlands of Uganda and Kenya. This multi-sectoral, community-driven program focuses on fostering economic diversification, strengthening governance, and promoting climate resilience to combat the ongoing challenges posed by climate change, economic marginalization, and insecurity in the region.
The facility addresses the intertwined issues of poverty and conflict by prioritizing alternative livelihood programs. Initiatives such as climate-smart agriculture have enabled 300 farmers to adopt drought-resistant crops, ensuring food security in unpredictable weather conditions. Furthermore, 42 beekeepers have been trained in honey production, and hay cooperatives have improved livestock feed availability, prompting less migration due to food shortages.
Moreover, the facility integrates peacebuilding with economic resilience efforts. By revitalizing indigenous conflict resolution structures like the Ateker Cross-Border Chiefs’ Forum, it facilitates dialogue between local leaders in Kenya and Uganda. Additionally, over 150 youth have been trained as peace ambassadors, enabling them to lead community dialogues that foster understanding and cooperation.
The initiative is currently making significant investments in infrastructure to enhance trade and mobility across the border. Solar-powered boreholes are being installed to alleviate water scarcity, while improvements to market infrastructure and transport corridors are being made to facilitate formalized cross-border trade, benefiting local economies and increasing stability.
As it transitions into its second phase, the Karamoja Scaling Facility serves as a model for resilience programming not only in Uganda and Kenya but also in other regions facing similar challenges. The approach will be adapted for borderlands in the Sahel, Great Lakes, and Horn of Africa to further enhance economic and social interdependence.
The UNDP’s Africa Borderlands Centre remains committed to elevating the importance of borderlands in Africa’s development agenda. With a focus on investment in community-led initiatives that promote sustainability, the facility works towards transforming these regions into hubs of prosperity, demonstrating that resilience is achievable through strategic partnerships and localized solutions.
The Karamoja Scaling Facility exemplifies a pioneering approach to resilience in the borderlands of Uganda and Kenya. By integrating economic development, peacebuilding, and infrastructural investments, the initiative effectively addresses the realities faced by local communities. As it progresses into its second phase, this model can serve as a blueprint for transforming vulnerable areas across Africa into prosperous regions, emphasizing the importance of targeted and localized solutions in international development efforts.
Original Source: www.undp.org
