Location
Benin
Borgou and Donga departments
Beneficiaries
1,800
women and girls
Period
2022 - 2024
24 months
Context:
Northern Benin has seen a worrying rise in violent extremism since 2019, exacerbated by the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Burkina Faso and porous borders. These regional dynamics, combined with local religious, socio-economic and political factors, are fuelling a sense of abandonment and exclusion.
Poverty affects 53.3% of the population in Borgou and 43.3% in Donga, well above the national average of 38.5% in 2019. The vulnerability of young people and women, exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis and global inflation, reinforces the risk of radicalization.
Historically, this region has suffered from a lack of structuring investment and a weak state presence, leaving a vacuum exploited by extremist groups. Borgou and Donga, located in a strategic zone, are also among the departments with the lowest levels of human security. These conditions have heightened social and economic tensions, posing major challenges to regional stability.
The urgency of a Prevention of Violent Extremism through Economic Resilience Initiatives project lies in the need to address the root causes of this instability, by supporting initiatives that economically empower young people and women.
Project description:
Support local initiatives of civil society organizations aimed at strengthening the professional and economic capacities of vulnerable youth and women exposed to the risks of violent extremism.
Specific objectives:
• Strengthen civil society: support civil society organizations in developing and implementing their capacity-building plans; facilitate dialogue between local authorities and civil society with a focus on accountability, strengthening municipal leadership, and coordinating interventions that promote youth and women’s employment.
• Support economic development for populations: strengthen young people’s basic professional skills (soft skills) for employability; facilitate their access to short-term vocational training and support the integration of youth who have completed vocational training; assist in establishing and developing savings and credit groups using the FaFaWa approach (Village Savings and Loan Associations); support the development of economic activities for youth and women through coaching and mentoring; build life skills for vulnerable women to increase their self-esteem and confidence.
Key Themes:
Economic empowerment
Construction
Housing
CARE Belgium supports the project in collaboration with other members of the CARE network, in particular through communication and fundraising activities.