Improving the food security, protection environment and resilience of vulnerable people in Northern Rakhine State Under this project, Center for Social Integrity (CSI) proposes to implement a food security and protection response in Northern Rakhine State (NRS), in responses to the needs of 11,825 people (3420 Men, 3726 Women, 2241 Boys, 2438 Girls). The intervention would comprise 10 village tracts, of which 5 locations Maungdaw (7474 people targeted 2150 Men, 2327 Women, 1412 Boys, 1585 Girls) and 5 locations in Buthidaung (4351 people targeted 1270 Men, 1399 Women, 829 Boys, 853 Girls).

In terms of food security, CSI will extend 1 year of additional support to 1,000 most-vulnerable households (identified as part of a 2020 FSA project through a vulnerability assessment) in 6 village tracts, by providing home-gardening top-ups (seeds, organic fertilizer, and basic materials) through in-kind distributions. This will support households to continue growing vegetables on a 9m2 plot within their compound, for their household consumption (2 seasonal distributions planned). Furthermore, CSI will extend its support to 75 women-headed households by providing home-gardening extra top ups, and seed multiplication training and a 100 women to receive business training support, and a small cash amount (200 USD) for home-gardening scaling up and small business making. Under the 2020 FSA, the women have been already been identified and provided with a first set of business and financial management training, and organic pesticide/fertilizer training as well as in-kind support for a three-fold expansion of their home-garden. Under the 2021 FSA, the cash support would help women with setting up their small business. All women would have to submit a short proposal for the use of the cash for which the business project could focus on home-gardening and agriculture, or a different type of small-business if they feel capable/interested of doing so.

In terms of protection, CSI will provide a wide range of services which could encompass the multiple and diverse protection needs of rural and conflict-affected vulnerable communities among 6 village tracts. This will firstly include different types of information dissemination and awareness initiatives, focused on Mine Risk Education (MRE), Child Protection (CP), Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Psychosocial Support (PSS). COVID-19 awareness and prevention will additionally be streamlined and included throughout each session. CSI will use existing Community Learning Centers (built by CSI) to organize the sessions and set up visibility items for permanent display. Furthermore, CSI will complement its MRE activities with cash support to 10 mine victims and survivors (medical fees, PSS, schooling support, small cash amounts for small-scale housing remodeling and adjustments). Finally, protection monitoring and local response capacity will be strengthened through the setting up of an independent and sustainable civilian protection mechanism which will be led by 34 volunteer protection monitors across 2 townships   . To set up this mechanism, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), an international organization focused on civilian protection mechanism and which has already trained 180 women and youth to act as responders to protection issues in their communities, will provide technical support and training to CSI as a consultant under this project. This civilian-led protection monitoring mechanism will be set up with the intention of detecting, reporting and responding to protection concerns entirely at the grassroot level.