Area-based early recovery for affected communities

The Area-based Early Recovery subproject was launched in Jowhar in January 2009. The partner NGO, Farjano Foundation, has consequently embarked on the labour-intensive rehabilitation of four canals, generating significant employment. During the 3 months the subproject will run, 3,400 beneficiaries will be employed and a total of 48,000 work days will be generated. Area-based Early Recovery aims at improving productive and sustainable livelihood assets in selected regions of South Central Somalia, namely Middle Shabelle and Bay. Twelve social and productive types of infrastructure are to be rehabilitated. In addition, the project is geared towards enhancing capacities, engaging in civic awareness and advocacy, and initiating ownership and participatory planning at the district and regional levels. It started in August 2008 and targets at least 1,000 households, which are distributed among 15 communities. A competitive bidding process, using formal expressions of interest, has been used to select implementing partners. With a number of institutions already qualified, the second part of the evaluation of expressions of interest and the qualification of local organizations from South Central Somalia and Somaliland was completed in January 2009. The UNDP Recovery and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme received 142 expressions of interest from local institutions, and a total of 39 organizations qualified to submit subproject proposals for the implementation of Recovery and Sustainable Livelihoods projects.