In order to increase refugees’ self-management, participation in camp management committees and community leadership structures is being promoted. Community-based and age, gender and diversity mainstreaming (AGDM) approach are highlighted in all protection activities. Community-based approach is adopted in prevention and response to protection risks, with regard to areas such as community-based policing and neighbourhood watch groups, youth and child participation, support to people with specific needs, among others.
Women participation in community leadership structures has improved in the past from 40 to 46 per cent, although the threshold still remains below 50 per cent. Women and youth continue to remain in the periphery of decision-making community structures, due to the socio-cultural orientation of the community. Initiatives have been established to enhance the role of females and children to report abuses and violence to trusted community members.
School programmes and awareness campaigns were designed and are being implemented on equal gender participation in community structures. They target particularly out of school girls and girls at risk of dropping out of school.
Capacity building for the committee and more support to refugee livelihood groups remains imperative for 2016 and in 2017.
In the management of educational concerns and needs of the community, the community mobilization towards greater self-management will therefore remain a key area of focus in order to ensure inclusive and responsive protection approaches.
Communicating with Communities Project (CWC) was developed in the last semester of 2015 to engage the community, improve the outreach and enhance information dissemination. As part of the implementation of the project 75 refugee volunteers were selected and capacitated to disseminate the 13 key messages designed by UNHCR and its partners on prioritized topics such as environment protection, registration, child protection, NFI/CRIs, SGBV and HIV prevention. CWC project helped to increase access to quality and relevant information that contributes to protection delivery in 2015.
Comprehensive response
Community-based approach and continuous consultation with the community would be strengthened to facilitate an enhanced understanding of the protection risks as well as insights on the capacities within the communities. Strengthening the sense of community mobilization will help UNHCR to increase potential capacities and establishment of protection structures within the camp.
Conduction of Community Based Protection Trainings (CBPTs) to build protection safety nets and to empower the communities and the local leadership will be continuously promoted and planned. SGBV prevention activities will include engagement with community based structures and development of empowerment activities for women and girls.
Communicating with Communities (CwC) will continue being considered as one of the essential protection activities in Nyarugusu camp. UNHCR will continue identifying and supporting initiatives which aim at reducing the tensions within the camp and with host communities.
In Dar es Salaam, the office will reinforce outreach activities to communities and will seek to develop a community centre.
2017