N’Djamena: Reintegration of returnees through cash-for-work

Since the end of 2013, when the crisis broke out in the Central African Republic, over 100,000 Chadians living there have left the country to escape from violence. These returnees have since then been hosted in humanitarian transit camps like Gaoui site, near the capital N’Djamena, where they live for over three years under precarious conditions. In view of the situation, and with support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), in April 2017, ACTED launched a project targeting 904 households of Chadians returnees from the Central African Republic (more than 3,000 people) to support their socio-economic integration in N’Djamena and allow them to definitely move out of Gaoui camp.

Since April, ACTED has been supporting returned families residing in Gaoui to access decent housing solutions in the capital by paying for their rent. After settling outside the transit camp, the beneficiaries of the project can now benefit from the cash for work activities proposed by ACTED with the aim of supporting their reintegration and their access to an immediate income that will strengthen their livelihood. Beyond that, the cash for work activities, related to sanitation works, will contribute to the sanitation plan implemented by the borough hall of district 8.

The cash for work activities were officially launched on past 21st September in two intervention sites. The mayor of district 8, a member of the Parliament and the head of Diguel East highschool partcipated in the launch event. The activities consist in cleaning and weeding the irrigation canal of district 8 and weeding and brushing the yard of the Diguel East highschool. These activities contribute to the sanitation policy of district 8, which aims to improve hygiene conditions in public infrastructures and particularly in public schools, as the school year will start in October.

Beneficiaries receiving instructions from the project manager on the cleaning and weeding activities of the irrigation canal in the 8th arrondissement of N’Djamena

This activity fosters both the integration of returnees into their new neighborhoods by participating in community work that will benefit the entire resident population and providing immediate income to the returnees in order to strengthen their livelihoods. The project activities to be implemented soon will focus on supporting returnees in finding sustainable housing solutions out of Gaoui camp and and in starting sustainable income-generating activities.

The borough hall of district 8 thanked ACTED for “the action they carried out to support the sanitation plan in the city, but also the reintegration of Chadian returnees from Gaoui camp – this will help reinfording social cohesion.”

This document covers humanitarian aid activities implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the European Union, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.