Promoting the economic and social participation of internally displaced persons and host communities

Cameroon	Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development (MINDDEVEL)

A group of people gathered around a pit, eagerly engaged in the activity.

Context

The ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s North and Southwest regions has resulted in hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), with over one million IDPs reported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as of June 2023.

Basic needs, including food, primary health care and access to schooling are critical issues for IDPs. Further-reaching services such as vocational training, job promotion and creation, income generating measures, and assistance with labour market integration are also needed to enhance economic and social participation.

However, numerous obstacles hinder the economic and social inclusion of IDPs and vulnerable members of the host population, contributing to tensions between both groups. The project aims to improve the economic and social participation by working to remove the barriers to these shortcomings.

Objective

Internally displaced people and the population of selected host communities, especially women, participate to a greater extent in economic and social life.

A team of individuals collaborating on a dirt road construction project.

Approach

The project aims to:

Improve economic participation by promoting vocational training, business creation and access to income and employment opportunities.
Improve social participation through activities promoting social cohesion, peacebuilding, skills-development and women empowerment.
Reinforce the capacities of partner municipalities, civil society organisations, technical and vocational education and training institutions, and business development services (BDS).
Promote the principles of Leave No One Behind (LNOB) and Do No Harm (DNH), while considering the unique needs of women, people with disabilities and members of other disadvantaged groups.
Provide socio-economic datasets of IDPs and host communities in the partner municipalities Mbouda, Dschang, Kouoptamo, Foumban and Bafoussam I, in collaboration with UNHCR.
Provide a holistic range of services to survivors of gender-based violence while sensitising against its root causes.