Yemen Communities Stronger Together (YCST) Monthly Report – September 2019

The program's objective 1 focuses on engaging communities in identifying and implementing service delivery and conflict mitigation projects. In September 2019, community meetings were organized by the Community Enhancement Committees (CECs) in targeted communities in Aden and Lahj governorates. In Aden, a total of 24 community meeting sessions were conducted in six targeted communities, with 225 participants (95 female, 130 male) attending the sessions. Male-only community sessions were held in all six targeted communities, with 227 participants, while female-only sessions were held for 255 members. In Lahj, 16 community meeting sessions were conducted in five targeted communities, with a total of 400 participants (200 female, 200 male). The CECs in Aden and Lahj governorates also conducted participatory conflict analysis sessions, which involved training CEC members to analyze and address community stressors. In Aden, conflict analysis training was conducted in four communities, with a total of 36 CEC members participating. In Lahj, conflict analysis training was conducted in four communities, with a total of 43 CEC members participating. In addition to community meetings and conflict analysis training, YCST made progress in developing profiles for its PACE communities. The profile for Al Mahfad (Abyan governorate) was submitted and approved by USAID in September. The remaining community profiles will be submitted to USAID throughout October 2019. YCST also made progress in objective 2, which focuses on building the capacity of formal and informal local leaders, organizations, and networks to serve as neutral arbitrators and peace builders. On September 22, an orientation session was conducted for 10 local Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who expressed interest in receiving the Peacebuilding Grants Fund. Objective 3 of the YCST program focuses on pilot stabilization activities to identify effective models for creating credible and local authorities and systems that can peacefully manage conflicts and prevent a resurgence of violence. In September 2019, the stabilization team mainly worked on finalizing the documents of the proposal package, including the proposal narrative, the Bill of Quantities (BoQ), and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). YCST has also resumed its field activities for stabilization targeted areas in Abyan. In Abyan, the stabilization team conducted their first field visit after the security issues in August and early September. The team visited Zenjubar to resume conducting technical assessments, which are related to improving sanitation services, rehabilitation of schools, and establishing green fields. In Taiz, BoQs and the EIA are now produced for all projects identified in the two targeted areas in Ash Shamayatayn and Al-Ma’afer districts. YCST has also produced and submitted the draft of the first stabilization lesson learned report to USAID on September 25. The report presented the lessons learned after applying and using the USAID Stabilization Analytical Framework in targeted areas in Abyan and Taiz. Additionally, YCST is planning to conduct its first Annual Learning Event in Amman, Jordan in November 24-26, 2019. The event will take place over three days and will involve discussions and presentations.