Context:
About two years after the massive displacement of more than 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh most of them are still located in and around camps in the sub-districts Ukhia and Teknaf of Bangladesh’s Cox Bazar District. While their basic physical needs are mostly taken care of by the Government of Bangladesh and international organisations, increasing mental and psychological problems can be observed, especially among youth, due to the trauma of displacement and the lack of perspective and the extremely difficult living conditions in congested camps.
The situation of the surrounding Bangladeshi population, the "host communities", is seriously affected as well. Whereas the existence of the camps provides some opportunities for the better-off, the income situation of resource-poor households has seriously deteriorated. Moreover, the sudden changes in their social, economic and natural environment have turned most things in their life upside down within a very short period of time.
The situation on either side increases the risk of negative coping strategies (drugs, violence, crime, SGBV) and of violent conflicts within and between host communities and Rohingya.
Objective:
Access to and use of services that contribute to peaceful co-existence and conflict resolution between host communities and displaced Rohingya is improved.
Areas of intervention and envisaged activities:
1. Strengthening the livelihoods of host communities affected by the crisis:
• Opportunity and value chain analysis, livelihood planning
• Skills development for low-skill trades, need based technical and vocational education training (TVET)
• Promotion of livelihood diversification (microenterprises, jobs, agriculture) incl. direct support to host communities
• Support for improved service delivery mechanism within existing governmental and non-governmental organisations
• Support for improved access to governmental and non-governmental financial and social safety-net services (grants, savings and credits)
• Facilitation of group/cooperative formation, backstopping
• Improved information systems about local job and income opportunities
• Promotion of collective learning, innovative local livelihood development approaches, systematic knowledge generation and exchange.
2. Reducing negative coping strategies through improved access to psycho-social services:
• Support to and expansion of community multipurpose centers / integrated adolescent centers
• Life skills trainings for young women and men from Rohingya and host communities (HC).
• Community awareness raising / information on services etc.
• Support for individual trauma and psychological counseling esp. for survivors of SGBV and vulnerable youth.
3. Supporting gender-inclusive conflict resolution mechanisms:
• Supporting international/national aid agencies and elected bodies in camps and host communities as well as local GoB structures with regard to dialogue, conflict resolution and gender-responsiveness.
• Further developing conflict management and resolution skills among community representatives and service providers
• Strengthen women’s voices in community representation structures (camps and host community) e.g. through leadership trainings.
Approach:
The project will be implemented with a strong focus on capacity development for implementing partners as well as community representatives. Adaptive management promotion of continuous learning, development of innovative solutions and systematic knowledge generation and sharing are the guiding principles for the design of interventions. Main partners for implementation will be local government service providers as well as local, national and international NGOs.