IOM, the only humanitarian agency currently operating in the Bourkou, Ennedi and Tibesti (BET) Region, has been working in the area since March 2011, initially because of the Emergency Response to the sudden influx of hundred thousands of Chadian Returnees from Libya and later because of the Psychosocial Reintegration and Community Stabilization projects for the same target groups.

The current Reintegration project in BET is financed by Switzerland. It aims at facilitating the provision of sustainable and holistic assistance to the returnees and their host communities. As part of the project strategies, beneficiaries are offered the possibility to design, implement and maintain their own community-based socio-economic infrastructure projects with the aim of achieving sustainable impact in the often highly isolated and rural communities.

Considering the sensitiveness of local customs of communities, project teams are encouraged to reflect on their interactions with the beneficiaries, the impact of the assistance and the implicit and indirect changes started through the project intervention. The “Do No Harm” methodology allows the IOM staff to go through this reflection process in a systematic way by ensuring constant contextual analysis and regular readjustment of project methodologies to ensure the highest impact.

Sixteen IOM staff participated in the four-day “Do No Harm” workshop organized in Faya from 12 to 16 September 2013. the workshop utilized a participatory approach from the project experiences and topics of implicit ethical messages gathered through the project implementation process on oneself through games, reflection sessions and group discussions.

“Community stabilization is a process, not an end to itself, therefore continuous analysis of the project implementation process is a prerequisite for the success as it enables us to make adjustments to the project implementation strategies,” says IOM project manager Anne Schaefer.

“To gain the confidence of communities is extremely important; to be true to our word and to reflect carefully on our actions, as a lot of harm can be done through poorly executed projects and outside interference. With the “Do no Harm” model, IOM is piloting a new approach in its community stabilization projects in Chad. After all, communities are not stagnant waters, but highly dynamic oceans of possibilities,” says Dr. Qasim Sufi, IOM Chief of Mission in Chad.

Contact:

Dr. Qasim Sufi
Chief of Mission, IOM Chad
Tel. Office: +235 22 52 53 59/60 (Ext. 111)
Tel. Mobile: +235 62 90 06 74
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: qsufi@iom.int

Ms. Anne-Kathrin Schaefer
Project Manager – Community Stabilization IOM Chad
Tel. Office: +235 22 52 53 59/60
Tel. Mobile: +23562901118
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: aschaefer@iom.int