Témoignages écrits et vidéo de nos bénéficiaires et des membres de l'équipe RESILAC. Nora*, trader in mental health care PSYCHOSOCIAL MONITORING PROCESS IMPLEMENTED BY THE RESILAC PROGRAM: IGAWA LOCALITY, MORA COMMUNE, CAMEROON On December 14, 2020, ACF's SMPS-GP teams in Mora received Nora for psycho-trauma care. Nora is a young woman of 30 years old, head of household and mother of 6 children. She sells wood on a daily basis, fetching it from the bush over long distances, then selling it in the IDP camp. At her request, she was followed up individually because of the situation of her husband. Indeed, her husband was suspected of being part of an organized armed group (GAO), and as such, she did not want to share her story in the middle of everyone; she thus expressed her need to be listened to privately. Nora's distress began in late 2015, when one day on her way home from the fields, her husband was arrested and to this day, no one knows what happened to him. Later in 2016, Nora was celebrating her little brother's wedding and the atmosphere was jovial and friendly. Then suddenly, the GAOs burst in unbeknownst to everyone. The village was instantly plunged into terror and fear invaded the wedding celebration. Her sister-in-law, the young bride, was kidnapped and Nora's younger brother was killed before her eyes. From then on, Nora lived in a very precarious situation with her children, sleeping in the fields at night to return to the city, which was quieter during the day, to look for food for her family. This already fragile equilibrium was completely overturned the day the GAO returned to the village and burned everything in their path: houses, fields, livestock. They also looted property, killed innocent people and abducted young boys to join their armed group. Nora fled, and after 7 days of walking with her children and neighbors was able to return to the Igawa camp where we met her. As a result of these different traumatic experiences, Nora started to develop a withdrawal, she doesn't talk much anymore, she cries every night. She says she has sleep disturbances, bad dreams and appetite problems. The situation of her missing husband has taken away her taste for life. Her nights are restless because she keeps hearing the gunshots of the invasion of her village, which echo in her head as if it were yesterday. The SMPS-GP team offers individual follow-up to help Nora regain her social balance and reduce her psychological distress. It was essential to normalize her feelings about her traumatic experience. TPS also encouraged her to seek social support, to talk to people she trusts, especially to help her seek information about her husband. As a result of our sessions, Nora has gradually regained her confidence. In addition, the "safe place technique" was applied to the beneficiary because for her, everything had become dark in her mind and she never recalled beautiful memories and only thought about the painful moments she went through. At this point, we thought it would be helpful to have her practice this technique, the approach to which is to clear her mind and imagine a calm and peaceful place within her in which she can escape. She states: "My garden that I used to water and watch grow gives me a sense of accomplishment. It was the only place that allowed me to escape and be away from my problems and the screaming children. The fact that I can imagine it again, gives me a feeling of calmness and lightness, I can even smile. Our exchanges allow me to see life differently, not to despair anymore, but to fight to find my husband and be there for my children". Thus, as the treatment progressed, Nora began to see life differently, and continued to fight for her children. So far, the search for her husband by her village chief and the Red Cross has been unsuccessful.

Prisca, Community Animator SOCIAL COHESION Prisca is a community animator for the "social cohesion" component of the RESILAC project. Through the project's partner in Cameroon, Diocesan Development Committee (contracted by CCFD), she is involved with women and young people in 8 cantons in the commune of Mora, in the far north region of Cameroon. She tells us about her investment, the role she plays with the people and the changes she has seen in the communities she supports. Prisca « I am proud because today I serve as an example for young girl in the villages » RESILAC " I am a community facilitator in the "Social Cohesion" component of the RESILAC project. I support women and young people in the structuring and development of associations whose aim is to strengthen social cohesion. I work in 24 villages with 33 associations, 18 of which is exclusively for women. On a daily basis, I set up training courses to teach members how to structure their association, I monitor these associations, I organise inter-community dialogues to encourage the different communities to understand each other better and live together, and I also help the associations to make their voices heard by the authorities as an intermediary. For example, with the women of a village, we have created a platform association called the "Association of Women United for the Development of Outogo*". This is a traditional dance association that brings together the other associations in the village by informing them, proposing community activities and carrying out actions that benefit the whole community. Even people who do not belong to a member association can join in the activities. The local authorities are also always present at our activities. This platform association is a real symbol of unity that carries out activities with everyone regardless of their ethnicity or religion. But my role does not end there. Most of the people I meet suffer a lot in their daily lives, so I help them and listen to them. I was born and raised in a village a few kilometres from Mora, so I know the problems that people face. Since I was very young, I wanted to contribute to the development of the region in which I grew up, especially for women. Here, very few girls can go to school, less than 15 girls in my village have been able to reach the bachelor's degree for example. As a child, I saw my aunts working very hard physically without being independent. I always told myself that I didn't want to be like them. I wanted to be independent and do a job I liked, so I studied social anthropology to work with the communities. I was lucky to be supported and encouraged by my parents. My mother worked for more than twenty years as a nurse so it was inconceivable to her that I would stay at home and be a housewife. I like the fact that I am involved in the development of the villages in my area. I like my job and I like to see the changes I bring to the communities, especially for the independence of women. I bring dynamism to the associations and women I support; I help them to realise that they have a lot of potential and to have confidence in themselves. In the beginning, women did not know that they could do things on their own without the help of a man, and men did not trust them either. Even within their own association, a man was appointed to make the choices for them. Over time, I have seen several changes in women's attitudes. By learning how to manage their associations, they have discovered that they can implement impactful projects. They have much more confidence, they actively participate in community dialogues, they take decisions for their associations, they take initiatives and bring big changes in their communities. For example, in one of the villages covered by the project, the men did not want to dig a well when there was none. The women had to walk miles to fetch water from the mountain. So they dug the well themselves, which is called "the women's well". Today, it is the husbands themselves who participate in the activities and come to me to get their wives involved in the associations. They see that they are doing good things for the community, that they are making things happen and that people are proud of them! I'm proud of that because I broke down the prejudices that men had about women. But it wasn't always easy. The first three months were difficult as a woman and as a young person, I am 26 years old. It is an environment where women are not really recognised in society. They can't often speak in front of men, go to school or work. Once, during a community workshop I was facilitating, one of the community leaders who participated said, referring to me, 'what can this little girl tell us? He didn't think I could teach him anything. But I imposed myself, I spoke, I made my introductions and he realised that I had taught him things and that what I was saying made sense; they were even impressed and came to talk to me at the end of the session. I grew up in the local area so I know how to adapt to people and situations. I think that helps me to be accepted and I have a lot of humour too, which breaks the ice and makes it easier to connect with people. I really had to assert myself and adapt to contexts to show that as a woman I was just as capable as a man of speaking in public and making things happen." What does 8 March mean to you? " It is not just a day to dress up, go out and party. It is a day for women to get involved, to think, to make decisions in the community to make a positive difference." *The name of the village has been changed RESILAC RESILAC

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RESILAC PROJECT > The project RESILAC - “Inclusive Economic and Social Recovery of Lake Chad” aims to create favourable conditions for strengthening people's resilience through economic recovery, social cohesion and sustainable management of the areas around the Lake Chad region that are most affected by the security crisis and climate change. After a first 5-year phase (2018-2022), which yielded encouraging results, all the project's stakeholders (Consortium of NGOs and donors) decided to pursue their commitment to this crisis-hit region through a second phase, designed on the basis of lessons learned from the first phase. This second phase (2024-2028) is financially supported by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement. It is again implemented by a Consortium made up of Action Against Hunger (lead partner), CARE and Groupe URD, in partnership with the CCFD-Terre Solidaire network as well as local and national organisations in each country BACKGROUND > Historically, the Lake Chad Basin region has been an attractive rural pole of resources and employment, essential to the lives of the millions of people living in its hinterland. This region, which spans four countries - Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad - and is home to around 30 million people, is facing a profound socio-economic, political, security and climate crisis, exacerbated by a combination of long-standing structural obstacles to its development. Conflict between military forces and non-state armed groups has ravaged the region for almost 15 years. This conflict has displaced more than 5 million people and is giving rise to one of the largest and most protracted humanitarian crises in the world, with no clear end in sight. Local populations are trapped by insecurity and the effects of climate change, which are exacerbating competition over natural resources in a region with great potential. The ongoing conflict and food insecurity have not only disrupted the region's economy and social cohesion; they have also disproportionately affected women, who face unique challenges. In recent years, efforts to address the region's challenges have taken on a cross-border dimension, with the implementation of several large-scale regional projects, including RESILAC. DESCRIPTION The territorial approach as a central component of the project's intervention logic, guiding the action. As part of the RESILAC project : The territorial approach takes into account the territories that make sense for the stakeholders and communities in order to adapt to local specificities and realities; The territorial approach coordinates a multi-sectoral response and adopts a holistic approach, taking into account the needs of all the social groups living in the area; The territorial approach places local stakeholders at the heart of the intervention, recognising their leadership and diversity and developing responses with them based on the principles of consultation and co-decision. The aim is to improve the living conditions of household s, particularly the most vulnerable (refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities), and to help local players become drivers of change . The project therefore targets the driving forces in the area (young people and women in particular), vulnerable households (displaced persons, refugees, host communities), local players who drive life in the area and local associations that bring about positive change. The project operates at several levels: local (at the heart of its action), regional/provincial and national (advocacy). This territorial approach is structured around the project's three specific objectives (SOs or components), which interact at different levels in complementary ways. Component 1 (SO 1) : Strengthen access to basic services , livelihoods and social inclusion opportunities for displaced, returnee and refugee populations and vulnerable host communities; Component 2 (SO 2) : Improve the capacities of authorities, community organisations and civil society organisations at local, regional and national levels to ensure social cohesion and natural resource management (NRM) around Lake Chad; Component 3 (OS3): Support economic recovery and promote cross-border trade through access to employment for men and women and to diversified agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries production systems adapted to climate change. Three other cross-cutting components round off the project's objectives: Gender: The project intends to make an active contribution to promoting gender equality, by integrating this dimension transversally into its action and aiming for reactive and even transformative action in terms of gender Advocacy: As a continuation of its actions in the field, the project aims to bring its work to the attention of local, national and international decision-makers in order to support messages that will bring about change aimed at national decision-makers and donors in the sub-region. Producing and managing knowledge that is useful for decision-making: The project relies on a solid and dynamic monitoring-evaluation system that is capable of monitoring achievements in real time, measuring their impact, learning and adapting on an ongoing basis which is essential for ‘doing no harm’ and for the quality of interventions. The production of knowledge will be aimed at those involved in implementing the project and, more broadly, at those involved in the aid sector. RESILAC is designed as an agile solution that is constantly adapting to the climatic and security challenges challenges of the region. This adaptive project management approach makes it possible to: Monitor the project's progress and learn continuously by drawing lessons , and ensuring that the project respects the ‘do no harm’ principle, Shed light on operational issues that arise during the course of the project using the knowledge generated over a short period of time. For more information, see the podcast on agile aid, episode 3 on the case of RESILAC here ANCHORING THE PROJECT > The territorial approach of the RESILAC project means working in close collaboration with stakeholders in each territory and country. This includes in particular: Community leaders and traditional chieftaincies : Involved from the outset through participatory self-analysis to initiate a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the main issues in a given area. They make a major contribution to community leadership of collective debates; CSOs and CBOs: Community-based and civil society organisations supported by the project, promote civic engagement in all its forms. In particular, they are called upon to support the implementation of activities in the field, so that they can play their role at the heart of local development; Local authorities , decentralised technical services and local public or semi-public institutions : These players play a central role in the local development of the regions and also facilitate the implementation of the project Finally, the steering committees , which are held at regular intervals, play a major role in monitoring the project, and enable all the stakeholders to discuss the progress of the project, the context in the areas of intervention, the points of vigilance and proposed adjustments, and the new activities being developed. PROJECT GOVERNANCE & STRUCTURE > Find out more about organisations that make up the RESILAC regional network: here The RESILAC regional office, based in N'Djamena, is responsible for the overall management of the project. It ensures the smooth running and coordination of the project, as well as the consistency of programmes between countries. It is made up of a regional representative and regional technical experts in charge of methodological and technical support for each component of the project, as well as experience sharing and capitalisation. In each country , a project implementation unit, made up of project component managers and field staff from the various implementing organisations, is responsible for implementing the actions. A RESILAC national coordinator oversees each unit. In terms of institutional governance : in addition to the operational and national steering committees in each country, the project is governed at regional level by a global steering committee co-chaired by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement. INTERVENTION AREAS > This second phase is implemented in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, more specifically: In Cameroun, the Far North Region : Municipalities of Dargala, Mindif, Mora, Koza et Tokombéré In Nigeria, in Borno State : Maiduguri, LGA de Jere, LGA de Konduga (under consideration) In Chad, Lake Province of Chad In line with the project's approach, the villages, clusters of villages and communities are defined on the basis of local assessments carried out with local stakeholders. To learn more discover our brochure - click here FOCUS COUNTRIES > CAMEROON CHAD NIGERIA NIGER RESILAC regional office

International conference Professional and economic integration of youth and women in the context of the lake Chad basin crisis: experience sharing and perspectives The crisis in the lake Chad basin is the result of a complex combination of multiple factors, including a precarious security situation involving non-state armed groups, extreme levels of poverty, persistent underdevelopment, and climatic disruption. This crisis, which has persisted for more than a decade, has affected every aspect of daily life (destruction of livelihoods, loss of financial and productive assets, limited access to education) of all social categories of the populations of the area; in particular women. The conference "Professional and economic integration of youth and women in the context of the Lake Chad Basin crisis: experience sharing and perspectives" provides a framework for exchange and restitution of the study on: "The place of gender in the socio-economic development of lake Chad", carried out within the framework of the RESILAC project. Tuesday, 18 October 8:30-11:30 (UTC +1) Video-conference Program 8:00 - 8:30 : Participants' arrival 8:30 - 8:45 : RESILAC presentation 8:45 - 9:45 : Study presentation and questions 9:45 - 10:00 : Break 10h - 11h15 : Capitalization and questions 11h15 - 11h30 : End Registration N'Djamena here Registration videoconference here Panelists Paola HARTPENCE - Capitalization officer, project RESILAC Kalilou Seydou MOUSSA - Socio-anthropologist, graduate of the EHESS , Marseille Ibrahim Hamidou OUMAROU - Regional technical referent for economic recovery (pillar 2) RESILAC project Hélène RONCERAY - Regional Coordinator RESILAC Register here

RESOURCES > The RESILAC project website provides a variety of resources (learning documents, evaluation reports, and research reports) for you to view online or download. Learning tools Evaluation Research

Boukabar, traditional chief DIALOGUE GROUPS AND FOREBAY CONSTRUCTION SET UP BY THE RESILAC PROGRAM: MAOUDINE, MINDIF DISTRICT, CAMEROON Boukabar Haman is a neighborhood leader in Maoudine (Mindif district, Cameroon). The traditional chiefdom of the neighborhood is in charge of mediating intra-community conflicts and trying to resolve them at first level. In this video, he describes how the dialogue bodies work and the implementation of RESILAC programs in his commune, in particular a bief (a diversion canal that conducts water).

Gaptia, farmer and future restaurant owner AGRICULTURAL TRAINING PROCESS IMPLEMENTED BY THE RESILAC PROGRAM: ADEBOUR VILLAGE, MAINE SOROA COMMUNE, DIFFA, NIGER My name is Gaptia MAI WANDARA, beneficiary of the RESILAC project in the village of Adébour (commune of Mainé Soroa). I am a young woman aged 20, married and mother of three children, two boys (aged one and five respectively) and a girl (aged 3). Before the arrival of the Project, the only activity my husband and I relied on to support ourselves was farming. We had few resources and could not even cover the food needs of the household, as our agricultural production hardly exceeded 3 months of consumption after the harvest. On top of that, because of the insecurity in the Diffa region, the prices of basic necessities soared. We could barely eat twice a day, except on special ceremonial days. My growing children still needed a variety of foods. During the lean season, my husband was the sole provider of labor and charcoal sales. "During the ceremonies in the village, I gave my contribution and I am always proud to be among those who pay their social contribution. At the end of the HIMO activities, I was able to buy two sheep to fatten and sell." With the arrival of the RESILAC project, I was first selected as a beneficiary of labor-intensive work (HIMO). On the land reclamation sites, we worked five days a week, or twenty-five days a month, with a monthly income of 50,000 FCFA. Each beneficiary saved 20,000 FCFA in a savings account at the financial institution in charge of making payments to beneficiaries. With the 30,000 CFA francs that I received from each payment, I contributed to the management of the household and bought clothes for my children and myself. During the ceremonies in the village, I gave my contribution and I am still proud to be among those who pay their social contribution. At the end of the HIMO activities, we received the sum saved of 80,000 FCFA each, and with this sum I was able to buy two sheep to fatten and sell. I was also selected to follow the vocational training for 60% of the HIMO beneficiaries, implemented by pillar 2.2 of the RESILAC project. I followed the training to become a restaurant owner (hotel business). I was very motivated by this idea, and I used part of the funds received from the HIMO work and the funds received from this last training to start producing and selling directly consumable foods such as cakes. "I also benefited from a 200 m² plot where I practice market gardening in the community site of our village developed by the RESILAC project. On my plot, I grow potatoes, tomatoes, moringa and lettuce." Thanks to this market gardening activity that I practice today, the consumption of these market garden products has improved the nutritional security of my family, in this case that of my children, especially since before, not owning land, I did not practice market gardening. Now, market gardening has become a passion for me and as a woman, having access to land is a pride and an opportunity. I have also benefited from the psychosocial support of the RESILAC project. Until then, I was facing psychological problems - for example, I was excessively stressed, sad and did not want to attend ceremonies and other mass gatherings. From the very first psychoeducation activity, at the 6th session of the treatment, I felt a significant change in my mood, my mental health and my interaction with those around me. This allowed me to undertake my activities without hesitation, and to be more confident!

COUNTRIES > CAMEROON CHAD NIGERIA NIGER

TESTIMONIALS > Faces of the Lake

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NIGERIA > Chad Cameroon Niger BACKGROUND Borno State, situated in Northeastern Nigeria within the southern basin of Lake Chad, boasts a rich cultural heritage and significant historical importance. For over a decade, the state has faced challenges due to insurgency led by Non-state Armed Groups (NSAG). This conflict has resulted in numerous issues, including security concerns from terrorism, displacement, and humanitarian crises. Additionally, there is limited access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and sanitation. Environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change further characterize the state. The humanitarian and security context in Borno State is complex and fragile. Some studies were indicating with an estimated 88% of households were food insecure due to food inflation and other interlinked challenges; about 90% of farmers were unable to engage in farming due to lack of capital, inability to purchase farm inputs and access related challenges[1] . [1] Food Security and Nutrition Situation in Jere LGA, Borno State, Nigeria Despite the efforts of Borno State , the security situation continues to make humanitarian access difficult in many areas of Borno State and is also seriously disrupting the region's economy. Cross-border trade supplying the main cereal and livestock markets throughout the eastern Sahel has been severely disrupted, leading to high prices for basic prices of basic foodstuffs. Some farmers have left their lands and casual employment is falling, preventing the poorest Nigerians and many foreign migrants of essential income. AREAS OF INTERVENTION Following the successes of RESILAC 1 recorded in Jere LGA in Borno State, Phase 2 of the project aims to scale up activities and replicate approaches and methodologies both in the RESILAC areas already intervened and in new localities in Borno State of the Lake Chad Region. In this context, the project will be implemented in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere and an accessible part of Konduga LGA in Borno State (Konduga of RESILAC1 of Jere LGA. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT In addition to the national offices of Action contre la Faim and CARE Nigeria based in Abuja, three national organisations are involved in the implementation and governance of the project: Neem Foundation , Novel Alliance for Development Aid (NADA) and Rehabilitation Empowerment and Better Health Initiative (REBHI). Each organisation has dedicated staff to implement the project. INSTITUTIONAL ANCHORING The operational steering committee, which meets in Abuja, is chaired by the Governor of Borno Region while the national steering committee is chaired by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.