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

Cameroon	Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development (MINDDEVEL)

Context

The ongoing conflict in the north and south-west regions of Cameroon has led to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), by December 2022 there were about 628,000 IDPs in the country.

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 boost economic and social participation.

Many obstacles and challenges stand in the way of this, resulting in the low economic and social inclusion of IDPs and vulnerable members of the host population. This exacerbates the overall situation by causing 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 participate to a greater extent in economic and social life.

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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 social cohesion and peace-building activities, skill-building among municipal actors and the social and economic empowerment of women.
Consolidate the capabilities of the partner municipalities, civil society organisations (CSOs), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, businesses and organisations like chambers of commerce that provide services or incubators for business creation.
Promote the principles of Leave No One Behind (LNOB) and Do No Harm (DNH), considering the unique needs of women, people with disabilities and members of other disadvantages groups.