AREA OF EXPERTISE
Food security and livelihood
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Food security and livelihood
FUNDING
More specifically, the action aims to contribute to increasing and diversifying sources of food and income, thus improving nutrition and Food Security.
TGH started to implement assistance programs in Darfur in early 2004 and has been working specifically in Bindizi since 2005, where it was and remains the only operating INGO.
Regarding the insecure context in these rural areas, on the one hand, an armed conflict between the Arab Tribes of Misseriya and Salamat led to a significant number of IDPs seeking asylum in 2013. Although a peace agreement between warring tribes was settled in November 2013, punctual fighting and population displacement resumed in 2014. On the second hand, Central Darfur is prone to natural disasters, notably drought, seasonal flood and epidemic outbreaks.
In addition, agriculture is the main food and/or cash generating activity in Bindizi area (Central Darfur, Sudan). Many households restored livelihoods in their new place of living thanks to the large-scale humanitarian assistance from which Darfur has benefited over the past ten years. However, livelihoods remain fragile; indeed, besides insecurity which limits the access to the fields, the production of staple food is subject to significant variations, due to the destruction of crops by herds, erratic rainfall, pests and crop diseases and the loss of crops before and after the harvest. On the whole, many IDPs remain in a situation of vulnerability for lack of sufficient access to land or alternative livelihoods. Winter cultivation remains poorly developed in spite of a clear potential for development. Similarly, alternative food-related livelihoods are low developed, mainly limited to a few beekeeping activities.
In order to maximize project activities' impact and effectiveness, the upcoming action will exclusively focus on the locality of Bindizi in Central Darfur. It will target the population living in Bindizi town, camp and in the 36 surrounding damras (small nomadic villages). This population is composed of 42% of IDPs from African tribes that have settled in the area afterwards the 2003 conflict, 24% of returnees, 24% of nomads and 10% of host people. More specifically, farming is the principal source of income for more than 95% of the population permanently settled in those areas.
The action draws on a continuous analysis of the FSL (Food Security and Livelihoods) situation in the target area, and on a large range of lessons learnt due to its longstanding experience of programming in the target area. Indeed, TGH has already worked for and with these farmers in the past, and has ensured a continuous collection of data through yearly surveys, during which households have been consulted about their constraints, needs and expectations. Moreover, TGH's Food Security interventions in targeted areas progressively shifted from an emergency rationale towards a more "development-oriented" approach which aims at Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD).
Local authorities, and in particular representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Irrigation (MoAAR), will be closely associated to the action and have previously striven for mainstreaming the fostering of development including through relief programs, although they are not formally associated to the action as co-applicant.
The action has just begun on January 1st, 2015 and is planned over 36 months, which will cover two rain fed and three winter cultivation seasons. It includes an inception phase which will enable TGH to update the action.
Actions carried out will mainly focus on the two following areas:
Firstly, the production capacities for staple food will be strengthened through increasingly resorting to adapted seeds and intercropping, enlarging cultivation periods, reducing pre and post harvest losses and improving access to better production means. Secondly, in order to contribute to food diversification, the cultivation of vegetables will be extended to a larger number of households including through home gardening.
First of all, a twofold income source will be provided to the most vulnerable households (cash assistance and public works). Then, a sensitization on Key Family Practices (KFP) will complement this action in order to enable them to face recurrent food shortages and to reduce malnutrition. Besides, livelihood opportunities will be developed by providing vocational training along with in-kind production means.