GENEVA, Switzerland, September 9, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) has brought the country's economy to a near standstill. IOM is responding with support from the European Union (EU) by partnering with local communities to offer cash-for-work activities to help restart individual economic livelihoods in the capital of Bangui.
Cash-for-work teams perform various types of work, including cleaning rain gutters, markets and canals, waste management, and street and bridge repairs in Bangui's first, third, and fifth districts.
Cash-for-work teams are composed of 750 people representing diverse ethnic, religious, and professional backgrounds. Half of the participants are women. Each team works for 10 days and each participant earns USD 50 at the end of the working period.
Esther, a cash-for-work beneficiary, started a small business selling donuts with the money she earned from the project. She shares her work space with two other cash-for-work beneficiaries, who all come from different ethnic and religious groups.
Esther said: “We thought it would be best if we rented this small place together. Now all of our families and friends visit us and buy our food. It is best for our business this way. I think we are a good example for the community. It is not necessary to fight in order for people to receive food. Hopefully the situation will continue to stabilize and more people will come to buy our food.”
IOM works closely with local authorities, under the guidance of the Ministry of Planning, to identify participants for the cash-for-work programme. Community meetings are held in each district to endorse clean-up projects to be undertaken, the community members who will participate, and the procedure for recruiting them. By engaging directly with local authorities, IOM intends to strengthen the relationships between local authorities and their constituents.
Some 5,050 people have participated in IOM cash-for-work projects since March and to date, cash-for-work teams have worked on over 35 infrastructure projects in the three districts.
One cash-for-work beneficiary, a former fighter with the anti-Balaka militia said: “I am here to work to bring peace back to my country. We want reconciliation. I have laid down my weapons and want to help re-establish the country along with others who have given up fighting. We don't want anything bad anymore.”
IOM's cash-for-work programme is part of the EU-funded Community Stabilization project. It began in March 2014 and will run for 18 months. The project has three components: cash for work, infrastructure projects in mixed communities, and the promotion of social cohesion among communities who have suffered extreme violence.
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