Harikar-SCI/SIDA Community center in Chamishko Camp, 2022 report.

Harikar in partnership with SCI and under SIDA has been delivering protection assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs in the Chamishko camp since 2021. The project aims to scale up outreach and services in out-of-camp locations for IDPs, prioritize community-based protection programming, and strengthen the capacity of authorities, communities, and existing protection systems.

Harikar (in partnership with SCI) is proposing a community-based design approach aiming at overcoming the barrier of engaging and protecting the most difficult-to-reach/disabled/vulnerable girls, boys' men, and women. This approach aims at shifting the mindset of humanitarian workers to take a step back and give space and opportunities for communities to take the lead in solving these problems.

The goal is to reach and engage girls and boys in programming that catalyzes their potential and supports protection outcomes. The approach allows the project to

1. More intentionally identify, reach and engage vulnerable sub-populations of girls and boys and hard-to-reach families through meaningful engagement.

2. More effectively design protective, asset-building interventions that are responsive to the context-specific profile of girls and children with disabilities.

3. Engage the broader community, particularly armed groups, and armed forces presumed/affiliated families, who often due to cultural factors "have a say" in their future to address the stigma around inclusion.

"I wish you came here 8 years ago when we have displaced from Sinjar to the camp. We would have not experienced severe psychological distress if you have offered us this service."

-- A mother from the camp

The project conducts a wide variety of activities, including; Livelihood services that aim at promoting self-reliance and livelihood opportunities for displacement-affected IDPs and vulnerable host communities. It is designed to serve as a bridge between humanitarian assistance and longer-term recovery and development strategies by identifying entry points to assistance for households at different risk levels: addressing basic needs and reducing reliance on negative coping strategies for extremely vulnerable households through cash transfers, creating job opportunities and income generation for at-risk households

So far, 60 families have received MPCA (Multi-purpose Cash Assistance), 38 have received Cash for protection and 71 have received Life Skills Training. And more services (Vocational training, Business grants, and Apprenticeship) are to be delivered to beneficiaries.

The other set of activities includes; structured play and recreational activities. As well as awareness sessions for girls, boys, caregivers, community members and parents on child protection issues.

"It is the first time I feel like a child, this program has rebuilt my family."

-- A mother from the camp

The project has reached 643 beneficiaries through awareness campaigns on messages aim at delivering messages to raise their knowledge in general and empowering them to more effectively cope with their faced challenges/needs. And it established gender-balanced adolescent/youth clubs including girls and boys identified and targeted through the case management social workers and the community-based networks including the Child Protection committees. MHPSS and Protection services that are supporting girls, boys, and caregivers to cope with stress and anxiety through mobile and static child-centered designed MHPSS interventions.

120 beneficiaries (Caregivers) Have been reached through PwV Program (Parents without violence) which aims to help in building strong relationships between children and their parents/caregivers to enable them to resolve problems together, in addition to case management services, which helps assess, planning, monitoring, and evaluating the services and possible options required for the beneficiary's needs.

This project aims to target boys, girls, men, and women who are considered hard to reach including child survivors of SGBV, children associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG), and children with disabilities from IDPs.

"My children crave these sessions."

-- A mother from the camp

The project prioritizes the Centrality of Protection and our proposed intervention considers context-specific vulnerabilities including gender dynamics and a need for conflict-sensitive approaches throughout the entire project lifecycle.

It also ensures that all children, including adolescents, have access to quality, context-specific, and individualized reintegration support. It also incorporates feedback and lessons learned on programme interventions into larger organizational learning mechanisms.

The project is also working to hard equip local stakeholders, including parents, teachers, community members, relevant authorities, and local partners, with the practical experience and technical knowledge to sustain protection services for children. By transferring knowledge, tools, and skills, as well as improving linkages to government structures, local communities, and authorities to promote and maintain ownership and sustainability beyond the scope of this project.