Quarterly Report: Irtoun – Rise Again, July – September 2015

The program aims to enhance food security and economic recovery in Ansongo Circle by strengthening agricultural production, helping vulnerable families protect their animal assets, and restoring livelihoods while building longer-term economic resilience. The objectives of the program are to help vulnerable households in Ansongo Circle recover productive agro-pastoral livelihoods and allow vulnerable households to restore income-generating activities and withstand economic shocks. Immediate food security needs are being addressed through vouchers-for-work (VfW) redeemable for household food and non-food needs, as well as animal feed vouchers. The program also facilitates the recovery of market gardening activities, including the most important cash crops of the region, and addresses the needs of pastoralists for improved fodder and livestock health services. The program intervenes and supports key areas of agricultural and economic livelihood restoration, providing essential ingredients for communities to solidify a peaceful and productive future. The Irtoun program is providing training to new Community Animal Health Workers (CAHW) and refresher training to existing CAHW, as well as operational capacity assessments of the previously trained CAHW. Community sensitizations on fodder cutting and conservation techniques have been conducted, and site preparation for the upcoming vegetable gardening campaign has been completed, including rehabilitation of compost pits, identification and selection of farmer organizations, needs assessment, and pre-ordering of vegetable seeds. Capacity assessments of vegetable seed providers have been conducted, and training of irrigation committees has been provided. Entrepreneurship training has been given to 76 youth entrepreneurs, and the first tranche of funding has been distributed. Operational capacity assessments of 87 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) groups have been conducted by an external consultant, and savings disbursements have been made with 87 VSLA groups in the communes of Bara, Ansongo, and Ouatagouna. Additionally, 17 new VSLA groups have been established in the commune of Bourra. The security situation in northern Mali remained stagnant over the past quarter, punctuated by continued banditry and targeted attacks along roadways and a resurgence of inter-communal violence in Aguelhok in the region of Kidal. Repeated targeted attacks have been noted throughout the north, particularly against UN and military targets, and an uptick of targeted attacks in the central and southern regions of Mali are cause for recent concern. Within the Gao Region, notable security events from the past quarter include the return of hostilities between the Platform (pro-Bamako armed movement) and the Coordination of the Azawad Movement - CMA (rebel movement) leading to several deaths, an attack against several MINUSMA convoys using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) targeted at a distance, and gunshots targeting the Ansongo ambulance resulting in civilian casualties. The program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, with 20,657 beneficiaries reached in the fourth quarter of FY14, bringing the cumulative number of beneficiaries to 35,287. The program has also made significant progress in implementing its activities, including training of new CAHW, refresher training of existing CAHW, and operational capacity assessments of previously trained CAHW. The program continues to work closely with local stakeholders and technical agencies of the government of Mali to ensure that the program is in line with local needs and helping to facilitate a clear path for recovery. The program is providing essential ingredients for communities to solidify a peaceful and productive future, and its progress is a testament to the effectiveness of the program in addressing the needs of vulnerable households in Ansongo Circle.