GARDENS IN THE SAHARA: PROPOSAL FOR JULIA TAFT

UNCLAS ALGIERS 000444 SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF AG SUBJECT: GARDENS IN THE SAHARA: PROPOSAL FOR JULIA TAFT REFUGEE FUND REF: STATE 14280 ¶1. For PRM consideration under the Julia Taft Refugee Fund, Embassy Algiers proposes to fund the development of a demonstration farm and ongoing training program, and to provide 60 Western Sahara refugee families in the Auserd refugee camp with the skills, tools, and supplies needed to grow sustainable home gardens. The gardens will improve nutrition and quality of life in an extremely arid and inhospitable region. ¶2. This project is being proposed in conjunction with the American NGO Not Forgotten International, Inc. (NFI) and their partnership with UJSARIO (Sahrawi National Youth Organization). UJSARIO has been working to provide the refugee youth with meaningful activities that can contribute to family and society life in the camps. Therefore, youth will be intentionally included for training with each family participating in the project. ¶3. Sixty (60) families will be selected from the refugee camp of Auserd, the poorest of the five main camps Sahrawi refugee camps in the Tindouf area. They will be selected by the leadership team of UJSARIO who, because of their infrastructure and their 10-year partnership with NFI, are best positioned to know the family situations on the ground as they relate to the project focus. The leadership team will choose the neediest families as recommended by UJSARIO workers who lead youth activities in every neighborhood of the camp. ¶4. A Sahrawi agricultural engineer will provide training and oversight to each participating family, teaching them all the necessary aspects of preparing, planting, irrigating, caring for, and harvesting a family garden. The families will be taught to plant crops in a rotation of three or four growing seasons during a 12-month period. They will be provided with seeds, a plastic mesh wind-barrier, a standard water bin, irrigation tubes, and organic materials to increase the fertility of the sand for each garden. Water will come from the standard Auserd water delivery system. ¶5. Training will be provided by the Sahrawi agricultural engineer at the beginning of the project, with ongoing oversight continuing at appropriate intervals throughout the year. Additional training will be provided as needed throughout the growing seasons. Families will also be taught how seeds can be harvested and used to plant future crops. ;¶6. Purchase/Finance: The total proposed budget for this project is USD 41,500, including cash expenses and the value of in-kind donations. Of that, Embassy Algiers is recommending that the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees provide a total of USD 20,000 funding for the following: USD 3,000 for seeds, organic materials, tools, and water; USD 7,800 for water tanks; and USD 9,200 for the drip irrigation system. NFI will match this grant with USD 21,500 of its own money to complete this project. ¶7. Partner NGO: NFI has provided the following code of conduct for review by PRM: BEGIN TEXT: In accordance with the mission and practice of Not Forgotten, International, Inc. (NFI) and principles of international law and codes of conduct, all NFI humanitarian staff, including full and part-time staff, interns, contractors, and volunteers (NFI humanitarian workers),are responsible for promoting respect for fundamental human rights, social justice, and human dignity. While respecting the dignity and worth of every individual, the NFI humanitarian worker will treat all persons equally without distinction whatsoever of race, gender, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, language, marital status, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, disability, political conviction, or any other distinguishing feature. NFI humanitarian workers will uphold the UN Secretary General Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). Definitions: ¶I. For purposes of definition, sexual exploitation means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes, including but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. II. For the purpose of definition, sexual abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. Prohibitions: ¶I. Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse constitute acts of serious misconduct and are therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including summary dismissal; II. Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18) is prohibited regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally. Mistaken belief in the age of a child is not a defense. III. Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including sexual favors or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behavior, is prohibited. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance. IV. Sexual relationships between NFI humanitarian workers and beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics, undermine the credibility and integrity of humanitarian aid work; ¶V. Where an NFI humanitarian worker develops concerns or suspicions regarding sexual abuse or exploitation by a fellow staff or volunteer, s/he must report such concerns via reporting mechanisms; VI. All NFI humanitarian workers are obliged to create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse and promotes the implementation of this code of conduct. The prohibitions set out above are not intended to be an exhaustive list. Other forms of sexually exploitive or sexually abusive behavior may be grounds for administrative action or disciplinary measures, including summary dismissal or removal. END TEXT. ¶8. Oversight: Post has tasked one political officer to cover the refugee portfolio; he will ensure oversight of the project. Embassy personnel visit the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf one to two times per year. We have regular contact with the NGO that will administer the grant; its members travel frequently to Tindouf and have agreed to provide us with periodic project updates. ¶9. Embassy Algiers points of contact for this proposal are Ryan Campbell (CampbellRT@state.gov) and Lynn Segas (SegasLM@state.gov). Post is happy to provide additional details upon request. PEARCE