Central African Republic – IOM is starting today (3 May) to provide literacy and book keeping classes for young people and members of vulnerable communities in four rural areas in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Many schools closed and teachers fled following the outbreak of the sectarian conflict in December 2013.

The programme is part of IOM’s European Union (EU)-funded “Community Stabilization for at-risk communities in the Central African Republic” and is designed to reach up to 40,000 beneficiaries in communities badly affected by displacement and ongoing communal violence. All of them suffer from an acute lack of schools and teachers.

Ndele, the remote provincial capital of Bamingui-Bangoran, currently has one functioning primary school, which is supported by the international community. But it has no educational facilities for young people or adults. IOM, in close collaboration with the national authorities, selected ten trainers to teach classes before launching the project.

 “We salute this initiative…One of the main problems of our youth is that they are excluded from many chances simply because they cannot read or write. This initiative is really giving them a chance,” said Sultan Ibrahim Kamoun of Ndele.

The Community Stabilization Project aims to contribute to the stability and early recovery of communities affected by the violence of the past two and a half years. The project provides income generating activities for vulnerable community members in areas severely affected by the conflict throughout the country.

The three main components of the project include local market revitalization, infrastructure rehabilitation, and social cohesion projects.  By engaging community members and revitalizing social spaces and infrastructure, the projects try to strengthen dialogue and solidarity within mixed communities.

For further information, please contact Anne Schaefer at IOM CAR.  Tel: +2367 2187635, Email: aschaefer@iom.int