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Conference international Mental health in the Lake Chad basin: concerns and synergies between local actors, health system and international community Wednesday, June 29 8h45-12h (UTC+1) Videoconference Program 8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.: Arrival of participants 8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.: Presentation of the study 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.: RESILAC activities and lessons learned 11.45 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Closing Register here The armed conflicts raging in the Lake Chad basin destroy individual resistance and the well-being of populations, impacting their socio-economic development. Faced with these situations, families are forced to leave their living and production spaces, leaving behind their vital means of economic subsistence, to go to places where security remains relative. Psychiatry detects signs of mental disorders, psychoses, depression or even traumatic neuroses in these psychologically impacted people. In this context, the social function of therapists (traditional healers, psychologists, etc.) is more than ever valued by the place given to speech and the relief of suffering. However, psychiatric and psychosocial services are still very inaccessible in this region where psychiatry often rhymes with madness. The conference "Mental Health in the Lake Chad Basin: challenges and synergies between local actors, the health system and the international community", offers a framework for discussion around the mental health response and psychosocial support of the RESILAC project, as well as the findings of the study "psychosocial care in the Lake Chad basin" carried out by Groupe URD, focusing on the availability of care and the endogenous mechanisms of psychosocial care in this region . Panelists Florence CHATOT - Study coordinator, public health research officer, research, evaluation and training officer, Groupe URD Pamela LONDONO - Regional referent Mental Health and psychosocial support, expert in SMPS project management in sub-Saharan Africa, RESILAC Henri MAHAMAT MBARKOUTOU - Researcher on the Cameroon/Chad aspects of the study, Teacher-researcher, doctor in political and strategic history, expert in conflict analysis in the Lake Chad basin Ibrahim YAMIEN - Researcher on the Niger section of the study, expert in community mental health, former research and supervision officer at the National Mental Health Program in Niger.

Les dernières publications du projet. VIDEOS Mental health at the heart of professional reintegration In the Far North of Cameroon The Far North Region of Cameroon has been confronted for several years with attacks by armed groups which lead to population movements and contribute to amplifying the pre-existing problems of chronic malnutrition and food insecurity. Since September 2017, this situation has caused several thousand internal displacement in the country and caused inflation of 30 to 60% on certain foodstuffs [1] . The four municipalities in the RESILAC project intervention zone, Dargala, Koza, Mindif and Mora, concentrate 56% of the population of this region living below the poverty line [2] . The most affected are young people and women. The economic difficulties that the latter encounter in the region (precarious labor market, limited natural resources for production, insufficient income) frequently lead to a state of psychological distress. This is often coupled with trauma related to the resurgence of insecurity, intra-family conflicts and gender-based violence. Thus, young people have great difficulty in drawing from within themselves the resources necessary for their economic reintegration [3] . The RESILAC project deploys new strategies on a daily basis to enable young people and women in Cameroon to draw from themselves the resources necessary to reintegrate themselves into the job market on a long-term basis. Regain confidence in the future The psychological problems considerably affect the capacity and the will of the people affected to cooperate, to live together, to project themselves into the future in a confident and solid way. Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered "the main factor behind the persistence of mental disorders after conflict situations"[1]. Mental health programs are therefore necessary to enable individuals and populations to recover, to be more resilient and to embark on a project for the future with greater self-confidence. This is why RESILAC integrates psychosocial care into economic recovery activities, allowing young people who integrate the training-reintegration system to benefit from the Problem Management + (PM+) protocol. This is a protocol originally developed by the World Health Organization, which, through weekly individual sessions, of approximately 90 minutes, for five to seven weeks, supports individuals in the management of their psychological and subsistence problems, their family conflicts and traumas. Training of health workers from on-site medical centers also enables them to develop their skills in psychosocial care, in a region lacking mental health care. The individual results are very encouraging in the municipalities where this monitoring has been implemented. This is particularly the case for Maimouna, 29, mother of 2 children, resident of the village of Djamboutou (commune of Dargala). " I suffered from insomnia, lack of appetite, general fatigue and difficulty concentrating." Proven symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety were observed during his clinical evaluation. Maimouna was accompanied by the PM+ for 7 weeks, during which she learned “ several strategies for stress management and gradual resumption of activity” . In the middle of the course, she was able to identify an IGA selling food in a market. RESILAC assisted her in building her business plan and getting her business started. Since then, she says, “ I finally got back to sleep, and the anxiety of being alone all day long disappeared ”. Fatou, 20 years old, mother of 2 children and resident of the village of Gaboua (municipality of Koza), also testifies: “ I was working in a local NGO as a 'peer educator' but my income was neither sufficient nor stable to take care of my family. For several years, I had tried to integrate the public service, without success. I also separated from the father of my children, I didn't have a stable job, I had a real sense of failure. " Fatou found herself plunged into a state of intense psychological distress associated with psychosomatic pain. She then joined a community interest project (TICOM) of RESILAC and participated in the psychosocial care PM +. During the sessions, Fatou developed an action plan: register for an information group on public service competitions, get information from resource people, start a commercial activity, promote dialogue with the father of their children. Thanks to the savings resulting from the TICOM works and managed with her VSLA, she bought sheep whose resale will bring her an economic profit. The improvement in her condition also allowed her to renew social ties. “ Some physical pain is still present, but I have regained sleep and appetite, and I feel a real improvement in my general well-being ”. Save to stabilize Young people and women are also monitored and supervised, thanks to an efficient education-training-economic integration system, which allows them to choose a promising micro-project and to strengthen their technical and management capacity in order to invest in complete safety. their savings. Thus, during the months of June and July 2020, in the town of Mindif, the beneficiaries of a worksite were trained on new techniques for fattening and rearing small and large ruminants (oxen, sheep and goats), and simplified accounting themes - including the management of accounting tools (cash registers and inventory management), support for carrying out purchases in accordance with the standards of the Dziguilao market, the creation of purchasing commissions [1] , etc. Marthe, mother of two, recounts the creation of an AGR for the production of peanut oil in the village of Maoudine (Mindif): “We formed a group within our community, and we learned how to grow, spread, dry and crush fresh peanuts to turn them into oil and kibble. From now on, we sell these products and put the profits in the common fund of our VSLA [2] . At the moment we use pots and plates to press the oil, but our goal is to purchase specific pressing equipment. In the meantime, every Sunday, we organize meetings to see the progress of our contributions ”. In addition, the project increases women's awareness of the leadership that has led to the occupation of decision-making positions within VSLAs [3] . This is the case of mixed VSLAs in the town of Mindif, whose offices are, for the moment, 46% women. In any case, the psychosocial care carried out by the RESILAC project does not claim to definitively solve the beneficiaries' problems. On the other hand, it allows a psychological mobilization which makes individuals autonomous and puts them at the center of their own change by means of a reflection on the different ways of managing their emotional problems and daily life. Find this article on the websites of our partners: Action Against Hunger: https://www.actioncontrelafaim.org/a-la-une/la-sante-mentale-au-coeur-de-la-reinsertion-professionnelle/ [1] World Bank 2020 data [2] Initial baseline, June 2019 - Groupe URD / RESILAC and https://www.banquemondiale.org/fr/country/cameroon/overview [3] Capitalization report, PM + for the benefit of economic recovery, May 2020 [4] Inception report of the SMPS RESILAC study - Groupe URD - November 2020 [5] Training report of the TICOM2 worksite in Domayo (municipality of Mindif) - June 22 to July 10, 2020 [6] Association Villageoise d'Epargne et de Crédit [7] Village Savings and Credit Associations

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.

Trésor, a legal officer who helps victims of violence TRAINING PROCESS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FOLLOW-UP (SMPS) SET UP BY THE RESILAC PROGRAM: BAGA SOLA DISTRICT, CHAD Trésor MENODI is a legal officer working for the Association of Women Lawyers in Chad. She is committed to fight against violence towards women. She has received SMPS training set up by the RESILAC project. She shares her experience and discusses the challenges that remain in her country.

COUNTRIES > CAMEROON CHAD NIGERIA NIGER

Research Evaluation > Learning tools Program surveys Baseline Midline Endline Quarterly Surveys Feedback Day Iterative evaluations with mini-seminar (EIMS) Territory Diagnosis Program surveys Baseline Midline Endline Regional baseline survey - July 2019 Regional midline survey - September 2021 Regional endline survey - September 2022 Quarterly surveys Feedback Day > Feedback Feedback Day Region - December 2021 Survey results in the 4 countries - October to December 2021 Feedback Day Region - September 2021 Survey results in the 4 countries - July to September 2021 Only available in French Regional Feedback Day - June 2020 This report presents the results of the surveys covering the 2nd quarter 2020 in the 4 countries of intervention. Only available in French Feedback Day Région - September, 2020 This re port presents the results of the surveys covering the 3rd quarter 2020, carried out with 218 people in the 4 countries. Only available in French Feedback Day Région - Oct/December, 2020 This report presents the results of surveys covering the last half of 2020, conducted in our 4 countries of intervention. Only available in French EIMS Iterative evaluations with mini-seminars (EIMS) > EIMS 4 -Regional report This fourth and final EIMS was carried out in the four project countries with a focus on two dimensions: i) the institutional and partnership relations established within the framework of the project and ii) the utility of the EIMS itself within the framework of such a project. EIMS 2 - Regional report 2019 This second EIMS was carried out in Cameroon, Niger and Chad with the objective of analyzing the first achievements of the teams with regard to the project's programmatic framework and the evolution of the intervention contexts. Only in French EIMS 3 - Regional report 2020-2021 Resu lts of the annual evaluation exercise carried out in the 3 French-speaking countries to analyse the implementation of the projec t with a specific focus on the program phase out strategies. Only available in French Diagnostics Territory Diagnosis > Cameroon Diagnostics- 2020 Only available in French - K oza - Mora - Dargala - Mindif Territorial Diagnostics Chad - 2020 This report presents the territorial and community diagnoses conducted in the 4 communes in Chad. Only available in French

Le bulletin trimestriel du projet. NEWSLETTER > Newsletter April-June 2025 Downoad here! Newsletter June-Sep 2022 Downoad here! Newsletter Feb-April 2022 Download here! Newsletter Nov 2021-Jan 2022 Download here! Newsletter Aug-Oct. 2021 Download here! Newsletter Jan-Apr. 2021 Download here! Quarterly Bulletin January-April 2021 Download here!

Témoignages écrits et vidéo de nos bénéficiaires et des membres de l'équipe RESILAC. Zabi: Sewing a better future MICRO-PROJECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SET UP BY RESILAC: GONGULONG COMMUNITY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF JERE, STATE OF BORNO, NIGERIA Zabi Umar (center) with beneficiaries of the RESILAC labor-intensive work program in Gongulong The Gongulong community in the Jere local government area of Borno State experienced a stalled conflict with prolonged attacks that negatively impacted the community's livelihood. Zabi ALHAJI MARU, a 33-year-old widow, the sole breadwinner for her seven (7) children, the youngest of whom is barely five years old, benefited from the economic and social recovery project. This project provided short-term employment opportunities to the most vulnerable households through income-generating activities, including the construction of irrigation and water systems, in order to mitigate the economic and social effects of the ongoing conflict in the region. "Before the intervention, I earned a living by sewing, knitting and making embroidery for community members. Before, I earned barely five thousand naira per month because the sewing machine was always defective and I could not meet the demands of my clients, so I did not earn enough to feed my children, let alone send them to school. A change in Zabi's activities occurred in 2019 with the RESILAC project. She was identified to participate in the "cash for work" activity. As a result, Zabi earned N50,000 (USD 137,725) per month for three consecutive months. RESILAC's cash-for-work program has directly enabled 300 young people (229 men and 71 women) to benefit from cash-for-work assistance, opening up a new career path for them. To help them maintain their income, a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) was created, with participants striving to save their business profits to improve their capital. This translates into more economic opportunities for women. The increase in her income has enabled Zabi to provide a better life for her family; her children can now go to school. "After I received the money, considering the problems I had with my sewing machine, the first thing that came to my mind was to buy a new sewing machine. Afterwards, business has been flourishing and customers are now more satisfied. I'm very happy to have been part of this project which has given hope to my community," Zabi said excitedly as she worked on a piece of fabric she was sewing. Zabi also bought a sewing machine for her eldest daughter as a wedding gift. "With a heart full of gratitude, my income has increased so much that I can feed my children and send them to school," says Zabi with a sigh of relief all over her face, wearing her beautifully decorated scarf with the RESILAC-ACF brand, as she shares her story. Zabi Umar sewing clothes with the machine purchased with the money she received as a beneficiary of the RESILAC labour-intensive work program. Zabi with her children. From now on, they can go to school.

Présentation des 4 pays d'intervention du projet NIGER > Chad Nigeria Cameroon Following the change of power in July 2023, the project's funders, the European Union and AFD, have decided to suspend financial support to Niger for this project. At the request of the Consortium, the situation could be reassessed by the funding agencies. From 2018 to 2022, the project was implemented in the Diffa region, more specifically in the communes of Chétimari, Diffa, Mainé Soroa and N'Guigmi. A total of 18 villages benefited from the project's holistic approach. Implemented by the country offices of Action against Hunger Niger and CARE Niger, in partnership with the Niger NGO Karkara, the project has reached more than 40,000 people. The approach has been hailed by the communities as relevant, as it listens to and responds to their needs. The project has also received a great deal of support from representatives of the local authorities (administrative and traditional). Sources: World Bank, AFD, Humanitarian Response, Initial Baseline (Groupe URD-RESILAC)

Présentation des 4 pays d'intervention du projet. ORGANISATIONS BEHIND RESILAC > The project is being 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. In total, 6 country offices of Action contre la Faim and CARE and 14 civil society organisations, all identified at the start of the project, are fully involved in the implementation and governance of the project in the three intervention countries. The Consortium has set the objective that at least 30% of the project's activities should be carried out by local/national organisations. Some of these organisations are also supported in strengthening their organisational and technical capacities. All the organisations, regardless of their status, are part of the RESILAC regional network and take part in the project's discussions and technical learning. THE REGIONAL CONSORTIUM Action Against Hunger is a French humanitarian association that has been fighting against hunger in the world since 1979. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of undernutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations (conflicts, natural disasters). As an international NGO, Action Against Hunger provides its expertise in various fields such as health and nutrition, food security and livelihoods, access to water, sanitation and hygiene, climate and mental health. Action Against Hunger operates in 56 countries around the world. As part of the RESILAC project, Action Against Hunger is the lead organization for the project with donors. CARE France is a recognized public utility association. It is part of the global confederation, CARE International, which since 1945 has been fighting against poverty and social injustice in the world, with a focus on gender. CARE International provides emergency humanitarian and development aid in more than 100 countries, working on women's rights and equality, emergency humanitarian aid, climate, education, health, economic development, food security and water and sanitation. Because they are the first victims of inequalities, CARE places women and girls at the heart of its programs. As part of the RESILAC project, CARE is the lead for the transversal Gender component. Established in 1993, Groupe URD is an independent think-tank specializing in the analysis of practices and the development of policies for humanitarian action and the management of fragilities. Its multidisciplinary expertise, fueled by constant visits to crisis and post-crisis areas, allows it to understand how the sector functions as a whole. Committed to knowledge exchange and collective learning, it supports aid actors in the process of improving the quality of their interventions. As part of RESILAC, Groupe URD is the project's learning partner and knowledge manager. It is responsible for the monitoring-evaluation-accountability-research-learning component in order to inform decision-making, provide transparent accountability, and learn and improve practices. A SPECIAL PARTNER CCFD-Terre Solidaire is a French international solidarity NGO. Created in 1960, the association deals with the causes of crises, by supporting local partner associations in the countries. It does not replace them but rather work with these associations by contributing to the success of the partners' actions both through project/program financing and through its role in the facilitation of common systems, on methodological support, project monitoring and their capitalization. Within the framework of the RESILAC project, CCFD-Terre Solidaire is responsible for respecting the commitments of its partners (Cameroon and Chad) and provides methodological support to the other actors of the project in the adoption of a broader vision oriented towards change within the territories. These four historic organizations (Action against Hunger, CARE, Groupe URD and CCFD-Terre Solidaire) of RESILAC decided to come together in 2017 to carry out this project. To this end, they have adopted the following philosophy: “Preserving our specificities and feeding off these specificities to enrich ourselves collectively and act towards a common goal” LOCAL PARTNERS IN CAMEROON In addition to the country offices of Action Against Hunger Cameroon and CARE Cameroon, four Cameroonian organizations are participating in the implementation and governance of the project: The Maroua-Mokolo Diocesan Development Committee is a player in the fight against poverty in its territory. Its main areas of action aim to improve food security, strengthen access to basic services and the integration and economic autonomy of young people and women, but also to promote social cohesion and living together. The CDD has been in partnership with CCFD-Terre Solidaire since the 1990s. As part of RESILAC, it has contributed to the success of social cohesion and living together actions since 2018. The Cameroonian Association for Interreligious Dialogue (ACADIR), created in 2006, is a platform for meetings and dialogue between religions that promotes peace and social progress. The regional branch of the Far North was formed in 2015 when the Boko Haram attacks began. ACADIR is a partner of the CDD and CCFD-Terre Solidaire, and has contributed to the success of RESILAC's actions since 2018. The Youth Association for the Development of the Rural World was created in 2001 by a group of young people to promote local development. AJED-MR pilots projects in public health, monitoring of democratic processes and promotion of women's autonomy. AJED-MR joined the RESILAC project in 2018 as both a beneficiary organization and a partner in the implementation of economic recovery actions. The Local Action for Participatory and Self-Managed Development Association (ALDEPA) was created in 2002 with the aim of contributing to the building of a just and equitable society with the responsible participation of populations. Its actions are focused on the civic participation of young people, the empowerment of women and girls, the professional reintegration of young people, the fight against gender-based violence and the promotion of peace. It implements projects in 3 regions of Cameroon. ALDEPA has been participating in the RESILAC project since 2018 as both a beneficiary organization and a partner in the implementation of economic recovery actions. IN NIGERIA In addition to the country offices of Action Against Hunger Nigeria and CARE Nigeria, three Nigerian organizations are participating in the implementation and governance of the project: The Neem Foundation is a Nigerian crisis response organization committed to promoting the protection and well-being of populations and communities living in contexts affected by conflict, violence and fragility. It implements interventions in psychosocial support, social cohesion, education, etc. As part of RESILAC, the Neem Foundation has been actively contributing to the implementation of psychosocial support actions since 2019. Novel Alliance for Development Aid (NADA) joined RESILAC project in 2024 as a beneficiary and implementing partner organization of CARE Nigeria on economic recovery /social inclusion. It was established in 2017 to provide integrated humanitarian services to people and communities affected by the crisis in Nigeria, focusing on the North-East, North-Central and North- West of Nigeria. NADA's intervention experiences include the provision of humanitarian assistance in the areas of education, peace building and social cohesion, coordination, advocacy and good governance, inclusion of people with disabilities, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, protection, food security and livelihoods for people and communities affected by the crisis. NADA's mission is to encourage change in the way the world treats vulnerable people and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives through innovation, effective support and collaboration. IN CHAD In addition to the country offices of Action Against Hunger Chad and CARE Chad, seven Chadian organizations are participating in the implementation and governance of the project: Association for Cooperation and Research for Development (ACORD Chad) is a Chadian development organization that specializes in supporting rural communities in the Sahel region of Chad. Established since 1987, its actions cover many themes, ranging from: food security, natural resource management, conflict resolution, citizenship and living together. A partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire, ACORD Chad has been actively contributing to the implementation of RESILAC since 2018, particularly on natural resource management. On RESILAC 2, ACORD Chad is the lead organization of the CCFD-Terre Solidaire partner group (APAD, CSAPR, GRAVE, Kawtal). Action de Partenaires pour l'Appui au Développement (APAD) is a youth association. APAD has supported hundreds of youth associations in 18 cities in Chad, on strengthening local community life and collective dynamics. APAD is a partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire. On RESILAC, since 2018, it has contributed to social cohesion actions and support for the local association environment, particularly that of young people. Rehabilitation Empowerment and Better Health Initiative (REBHI) is a national non-profit organization, established on March 30, 2017 and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria. REBHI is dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities through initiatives that promote self-reliance and empowerment, particularly among women, youth and other vulnerable groups. REBHI focuses on the provision of protection services, including gender-based violence interventions, as well as food security, livelihoods, peacebuilding, education, health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) programs, all aimed at fostering safer and more resilient communities. REBHI joined the RESILAC project in 2024 as a beneficiary organization and implementing partner of CARE Nigeria for economic recovery and social inclusion actions. The Monitoring Committee of the Call for Peace and Reconciliation is an associative platform that has been leading civil society since 2002 in the collective process of social and political transformation at the national level. It has extensive experience in supporting dialogue in all its forms within Chadian society. A partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire, CSAPR has been actively contributing to social dialogue on RESILAC since 2018. The Reflection and Animation Group for Living Together (GRAVE) carries out numerous initiatives to bring communities together and also acts on the production of value frameworks essential to living together in Chad (e.g. the production of a common definition of secularism between Christians and Muslims). A partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire, GRAVE has been focusing on intercultural and interreligious issues within the framework of RESILAC since 2018. Kawtal (which means "Union" in Peulh) is a sub-regional platform of pastoral organizations whose mission is to defend the interests and rights of nomadic communities and to strengthen their civic participation. At the heart of the nomadic world, Kawtal seeks to initiate an ongoing dialogue on issues related to social justice, development and living together. A partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Kawtal has been carrying out activities, within the framework of RESILAC since 2018, with sedentary and nomadic herders. Action for Rural Development In partnership with the CARE Chad office, ACDER is joining the RESILAC project in its second phase in 2024 as a beneficiary organization and implementing partner for actions related to of gender integration and community mobilization. CHORA joins the RESILAC project in its second phase in 2024 as a beneficiary organization and implementing partner for actions related to food security, rural development and advocacy.

Evariste: recovery actor in Mora commune, Far North Cameroun PILLAR 2 : FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS In Cameroon, the "Inclusive Economic and Social Recovery of Lake Chad" (RESILAC) project covers, since 2018, four communes in the Far North region: Mindif, Dargala, Mora and Koza. Within the framework of the project, the local economy and the economic integration of young people are supported through high labour- intensive work (HLI) for the creation and rehabilitation of community assets, the development of village savings and credit associations, the establishment of links with economic partners, as well as training (functional literacy, training adapted to the choices of the people supported and to the local market, reinforcement of the management of the VSLAs and microprojects). Evariste In Cameroon, more than 1,000 young people took part in labour-based work[1] , including 132 young people from the commune of Mora who were mobilised for four months to build a dam. In exchange for their work, the participants each earned 40,000xaf (61€[2 ] ) per month, part of which was saved and returned at the end of the project to set up their micro-project. Evariste is one of the 132 young people who participated in the construction of the Mora dam; he shares his experience with us and how RESILAC has improved his living conditions and those of the community. "Before RESILAC came to our village, I was in debt. I had enormous difficulties in meeting my family's expenses. Farming and livestock raising are our main activities, but each season I only harvested 2 to 3 bags of millet, our basic foodstuff. I also juggled with my poultry farm (four hens and a rooster). But this was not enough. In addition, my wife gave birth in difficult conditions that made it impossible for her to work as before. I had completely lost hope when in October 2020 the RESILAC programme was announced in our village. I was informed by a member of our community that the programme offered people in difficult circumstances to participate in community service. I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the beneficiaries. s[2 ] At the end of the project, thanks to the money saved, our group chose to develop a micro-project for the production and storage of maize and millet. We contributed 262,500xaf (403€[2] ), or 37,500xaf (58€[2 ] ) each, and we were able to buy and store 10 bags of maize and 12 bags of millet, which we will sell when prices rise. Some of the millet will be shared among the members for their personal use, to help them through the lean season. Also, our ambition is to rent a one-hectare plot of land and to buy the agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilisers) to produce the cereals ourselves. The water dam that we built as part of the labour-based works has helped to solve the problem of access to water in our community. Before, to get water for our animals, we had to travel a distance of 9 km, which was very difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, this led our people to give up raising cattle. With this dam, we intend to relaunch our livestock farming activities. We have even seen the return of a species of bird that had left the village because of the scarcity of rain. [1] The Chantiers à Haute Intensité de Main d'Travail (HIMO) developed in Niger, Nigeria and Chad are Travaux d'Intérêt Communautaires (TICOM) in Cameroon. The term HIMO is used here to facilitate the understanding of the testimony [2 ] app roximately Since its creation, the dam, which is now 5 metres deep following the 2022 rainy season, has benefited communities who have developed cattle and sheep breeding, agriculture and fish farming. I was earning 10,000xaf (15€[2 ] ) per week and the project had made us aware of the importance of saving. I accepted that 50% of my income should be saved in a bank account. The project also made us aware of the contribution system according to the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) approach and of how to set up micro-projects. I was paid half of my income at the end of each week, and little by little my life changed. I was able to buy millet and other products for my household needs without getting into debt, and I was also saving in VSLAs. Tapareo Bief, November 2022 Chantier TICOM, construction mare de Mémé , Cameroun RESILAC Menstrual hygiene training participants RESILAC Making briquettes from carcoal Manufacture of coal briquettes

Témoignages écrits et vidéo de nos bénéficiaires et des membres de l'équipe RESILAC. Imani*, shopkeeper and active member of a village association AGRICULTURAL TRAINING PROCESS IMPLEMENTED BY THE RESILAC PROGRAM: ADEBOUR VILLAGE, MAINE SOROA COMMUNE, DIFFA, NIGER In October 2020, the ACF SMPS-GP team receives Imani as part of the management of psychotrauma in the locality of Mazi. Aged 33, Imani is a married woman with 6 children. She lives with her family in Mazi village. Before the arrival of this difficult situation which is the insecurity caused by the organized armed groups (GAO), she lived easily with her family, because they were well off in material goods. Her spouse was going to Nigeria in search of laborer activities. She, in her turn, was busy with rural activities and animal husbandry, accompanied and supported by her children. At that time, the harvests were abundant because the planting was also important: everything was wonderful, she says. Today, it's just the opposite because life has become more and more difficult. “Before, plots of arable land were cheaper and it was easy to find a field to rent. With a sum of 3000 FCFA, you could have 1 quarter of a hectare to cultivate and reassuring productivity. In 2009, I had to cultivate 1 quarter and I harvested eight bags of red millet. But currently, finding a field becomes problematic, because the demography has increased given the number of displaced people and moreover, the harvest is not at all satisfactory. Our lands are fully exploited. With 1 cultivated quarter, you only obtain a bag and a half of millet for example; it's not galvanizing at all. » In addition, her husband no longer has access to his work areas due to insecurity. Faced with this situation of economic precariousness, the harmony once present within the couple has disappeared; conflicts reign all the time. Imani also points out that the fact that they go to sleep in the mountains every night to get to safety exposes her and her whole family to various diseases, such as malaria and coughs because they sleep in the open air._cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Imani therefore feels enormous discouragement, no longer has the taste for anything and does not feel the psychic strength to undertake initiatives to try to get out of the precarious economic situation in which she finds herself. She can no longer send her children to school as before, and even medical care is difficult to resolve, hence her anxiety. The SMPS-GP team offers Imani a group follow-up to help him regain confidence in his potential and his ability to implement viable projects. Work around his self-esteem was therefore implemented throughout the follow-up sessions. Also she was able to make the link between her past, her present and her future, which allowed her to manage to develop again as before, ideas of Income Generating Activity (IGA) that she could carry out. Today, thanks to the AGR that she has set up, which consists of making "bayam-sellam", that is to say "buying goods wholesale and reselling them in detail" such as: corn, peanuts, cowpea, millet, poultry every day from the roadside market, she already plans to pay her children's school fees. Her husband encourages her and is already following the good example, she says, by looking for an IGA that he too can set up. Currently a member of the Association Villageoise d'Epargne et de Crédit (AVEC) set up within her monitoring group, she produces savings, which she wishes to invest very soon to diversify her income: “I can make a profit of 5 to 6 thousand francs when the market is good”. His marital relationship has improved, and the arguments are much less regular. She admits to having resented her husband when their finances deteriorated, but thanks to the support, she understood that nothing was her husband's fault, and that instead of waiting for it to be necessarily him the provider of funds, that she too could be a strong link in dealing with her family's difficulties. Words of thanks continue to be addressed to the SMPS team and the RESILAC project in these terms: “Thanks to your support, I got back on the right path. Now, with the little that I bring back, my family has become united again, we eat our fill and I manage to save a little. The balance I had lost returned to normal. It is now that I understand this adage which often says: "Man is nothing without his fellow man, you taught me how to catch fish, even in your absence, I will know what to use it for, to meet my needs. Thanks to the SMPS team”. If ever, everything goes ahead, she plans to open a small restaurant at the crossroads of Mazi in a few months. *Name has been changed.