Annual activity report

The year 2010 was marked by a deep change in our working methods in the Central African Republic and in Sudan, where the expatriate staff is exposed to increased insecurity, especially in our remote bases located in regions kept in a state of permanent insecurity by struggles for power. Although we have always mobilized local resources and competences, recent events (especially the kidnapping of two members of our team in the Central African Republic in November 2009) oblige us to work from a distance from now on (remote control). Thus, we develop the transfer of responsibilities through the recruiting of local managers, and more generally, we strengthen local competences through training. This challenge, carried-out in accordance with our partners and donors, finally proves to be rather positive. In spite of all the difficulties inherent to a remote control management, it enables us, and this is the main thing, to maintain the absolutely essential activities: access to water and sanitation,
agricultural production, breeding, food security…
Another marking event this year is the development of our partnership with the NGO Aide Médicale Internationale in Yemen. Since 2008 it is based on a definition of the concept of food security associating food consumption and state of health (a definition stemming from the work of the Committee on World Food Security). Both associations have been working together, each one in its spheres of expertise, helping populations of the Tihama plains, one of the poorest regions of the Republic of Yemen. This collaboration will extend into 2011 and 2012 in Burma, with an action mainly funded by the Development and Cooperation Programme of the European Commission (EuropeAid). The aim is to support populations displaced within the country (mainly for economic and political reasons), by improving healthcare, access to water, hygiene, sanitation, and development conditions, notably through the creation of income generating activities.
Finally, 2010 witnessed the strengthening of the NGO’s technical unit with the arrival of Eric Martin, Technical Referent water, hygiene, sanitation and civil engineering, and that of Gilles Groizeleau to the position of socio-educative and psychosocial Manager. This technical unit, the real spearhead of our integrated approach, handles studies, expert’s reports and assessments, defines strategies, backs-up training sessions and local actors’ capacity building activities, and builds up the experience of the association.