Emergency Support to Vulnerable Households Affected by the Early Agropastoral Lean Season in Nara District, Mali COOPERATIVE
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Emergency Support to Vulnerable Households Affected by the Early Agropastoral Lean Season in Nara District, Mali COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 72DFFP18GR00060 Third Quarter Report January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2019 Submitted to: Office of Food for Peace, USAID Submission Date: April 24, 2019 1. Key information Implementing Agency: International Rescue Committee National Office: Badalabougou Est, Bamako, Mali Franck Vannetelle, IRC Mali Country Director Email: [email protected] Telephone: +223 71287791 Agency Headquarters: International Rescue Committee 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168, USA Telephone: + 1 (212) 551-3015 Fax: + 1 (212) 551-3185 Erika Pearl, Program Officer E-mail: [email protected] Project Title: Emergency Support to Vulnerable Households Affected by the Early Agropastoral Lean Season in Nara District, Mali Project Duration: August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019 Program Goal: To contribute to the sustainable improvement of food security and nutritional status for vulnerable households in Nara district, Mali Budget: $1,986,968 Total beneficiaries targeted: 4,936 households (34,552 individuals) Total beneficiaries reached in the reporting period: 4,936 households (44,325 individuals) Total beneficiaries reached cumulatively: 44,325 individuals 1 I. Background The security situation remained relatively calm during the period from January to March 2019. No incidents or accidents impacted the implementation of project activities. Though there was an increase in the Malian military patrols in the commune of Niamana, one of the six communes where the FFP project is implemented no incidents impacted the implementation of the FFP project activities. During this reporting period, transhumant herders from Mauritania continued to return to the circle of Nara, albeit in fewer numbers compared to the same period in previous years. This decrease is related to the satisfactory state of pastures and the availability of water at watering points in ponds in Mauritania. According to the seasonality of the circle of Nara, the return of transhumant herders begins at the end of November and continues until April, peaking in January and February. II. Summary of activities Food voucher Total amount approved (USD) for cash/vouchers for reporting period 354 571 Value of Individual Transfer (USD) 71 Planned # of vouchers 59 232 Actual # of vouchers distributed 63 008 Actual # of vouchers redeemed 62 912 # of months of distribution 3 / 5 / 61 Average cost per participant 79,19 Cost per month 26,39 Frequency of transaction 1 Total actual cost (USD) for cash/vouchers for reporting period 375 048 Planned participants for the quarter (male) 3,448 Planned participants for the quarter (female) 1,488 Actual number of participants reached (male) 3 227 Actual number of participants reached (female) 1 509 Time from signed agreement to the first distribution to beneficiaries if applicable to this 87 days reporting period a. Identification of beneficiaries During the first quarterly distribution, which took place between XX November and 15 December 2018, 11 out of 4,936 beneficiary households were found to be already included in the Jigisemijiri programs or to be double-counted on the IRC list. Six of these households are in Dilly; one in Nara; two in Ouagadou; and two in Niamana. In order to replace these beneficiary households, the IRC organized a mission on 29 January, 2019 in order to identify 11 new beneficiary households in the above-mentioned municipalities. The project team implemented the identification process in collaboration with the targeting and complaints committees already established in the villages and it entailed the following: - Targeting new households from existing pre-lists (from the initial targeting process in the Q1) by targeting and complaint management committees - Validation of the final list of beneficiaries during General Assemblies s - Signing of meeting minutes and attendance lists 1 3 969 beneficiairies received vouchers for 3 months, 10 received vouchers for 6 months and 757 received voucher for 5 months 2 The table below shows breakdown of the selected replacement households. Number of selected Gender of head of Commune Village Status of replaced households households households Dilly Kawassi 4 F Beneficiary of Jiguisemeyiri Dilly Dilly 2 M Beneficiary of Jiguisemeyiri Ouagadou Goumbou 2 M Duplicate Niamana Mourdiah 2 F Duplicate Nara Kabida Soninke 1 F Duplicate Total 11 b. Cash/voucher distribution Distribution of food vouchers in Niamana municipality (catch-up distribution 1) From November 24 to December 15, 2018, IRC had carried out the first quarterly distribution of food vouchers to the 4,736 beneficiaries (assistance via paper vouchers) in the circle of Nara, encompassing the communes of Nara, Dilly, Ouagadou, Niamana, Koronga, and Fallou. During this distribution, 756 beneficiary households (756 households received paper vouchers covering one month's food ration in Niamana commune (see QR2 for more details). 199 households in the same commune were scheduled to receive an electronic voucher through MasterCard Aid, but this was not implemented as planned (see details below). From February 5-9, 2019, the IRC distributed food vouchers to 757 beneficiary households in the commune of Niamana. During this distribution, each household received eight food vouchers (including two oil vouchers, two cereal vouchers,two condiments vouchers, and two meat vouchers), to cover two months' food ration for a total value of 26,666 CFA francs (Annex X distribution report). The 199 households in Nara and Ouagadou that were to receive the electronic vouchers were not served. See below for more details. Voucher distribution via Mastercard Aid system (digital payment) (catch-up distribution 1) During this quarter, the 199 beneficiary households to be served via MasterCard Aid were unable to obtain their monthly allocations. This was due to delays in registration in the deployment of the electronic voucher system. This system, initially planned for February 2019, will be implemented in April 2019. For the first phase of the digital payment, beneficiary households will receive two months of food ration (i.e. 26,666 CFA francs) in April 2019, in addition to the one month of grant received in November 2019 via paper vouchers. Note that one household that was supposed to benefit from electronic vouchers did not receive it during the December distribution (for more details see QR2). This household will receive the allocations for three months of distribution directly in April. Second quarterly voucher distribution in the circle of Nara (paper voucher, 4,736 beneficiary households) From February 28 to March 14, 2019, the IRC project team, jointly with the local social development and solidarity economy service of Nara (SLDSES – NAR), the targeting and complaints committees distributed 12 food vouchers to 4,736 households in the communes of Nara, Dilly, Niamana, Fallou, Koronga, and Ouagadou, This distribution covers a three-month food ration. The distribution of food vouchers included the following steps: 1) Organization of distribution sites in the communes where the project is implemented, 2) Sensitization of beneficiary households on the use, quantity and quality of food vouchers, 3) Naming and identification of beneficiary households using national identity cards, NINAs and beneficiary cards, 4) Signing of food voucher distribution forms, and 5) packaging and distribution of 12 food vouchers. During this second distribution, 10 of the 11 households that had not received vouchers during the first distribution each received an additional 12 vouchers to cover the non-received vouchers in 2018, i.e. a total of 24 vouchers covering 6 months of food needs. The only beneficiary household that did not received a voucher is one that is expected to receive an electronic voucher through MasterCard Aid. The value of the vouchers is the same as for distribution 1, 40,000 FCFA (73 USD) composed of the following values: 3 • Three cereal vouchers for a total of 18,000 FCFA • Three protein vouchers (meat/fish) for a total of 12,000 FCFA • Three vouchers for oil for a total of 6,000 FCFA • Three vouchers for condiments for a total of 4,000 FCFA In total during the quarter, 56,832 food vouchers were distributed in the six communes for a total value of CFA F 189,440,000 (see table 2 in the annex 2). Exchanges of vouchers with merchants and refund In order to prepare for the exchange of vouchers distributed last quarter, the IRC held a meeting with the 81 vendors authorized to accept said vouchers between 18 and 24 December 2018; 2 and 22 January 2019; and on 18 February 2019. The meetings focused on the reception, counting and verification of food vouchers. Then, all the financial documents necessary for the traders' refunds and the received vouchers were sent to Bamako. A final check of the trading documents and coupons was made in Bamako before the refund of traders. The project team and the finance department (Nara and Bamako) implemented this process. During these meetings nearly 56,090 food vouchers (i.e. 224,359 weekly vouchers) were received from service providers and refunded by IRC, with an approximate value of 178,726,550 CFA francs. The refund of the traders was made by Orange money, or by bank transfer/check. These voucher refunds cover the periods of December 2018, January and February 2019. A total of 64 service providers (including 18 women) participated in voucher exchanges with beneficiary households in the communes of Nara,