As part of its multi-donor program which aims at recovering the agropastoral sector in Ouham Pendé prefecture (northern CAR), the Danish Council for Refugees (DRC) supported the establishment of a multifunctional platform (MFP) in Paoua, a first in CAR. This initiative aims, using a pilot community approach, to provide an energy source (generator) that supplies supplying various kinds of production equipment, such as mills, crushers, peelers, welding stations, etc.
The multi donor program includes the European Union, the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Peacebuilding Fund, and the United Nations Development Programme.

The MFP is managed through a strategic, technical and organizational plan by the Union of Women of MFP Paoua (12 groups of about 350 women in total) who have committed and provided more than 1,500 USD as equity to the MFP for this purpose.

This initiative will promote several agricultural products (flour, oil, pasta, rice) and provide specific services such as welding, lighting, battery charging, and water pumps in a sustainable manner.

Based on the experiences of MFP in West Africa, this program is hoped to improve the living conditions of people, especially women, by providing a source of energy and ways to increase the value of products, and to reduce the burden of their work.

These women will be able to spend more time on other activities aimed at their self-promotion, such as literacy, education, and awareness on human rights, among others.

The MFP thus represents an important tool for community development, especially marginalized and underdeveloped areas.

Contact drccar@drc.dk for more information.

Download the full news bulletin 124 (29 Sept - 12 Oct 2009)
News Bulletin 124 - English (PDF) - 70 kB
News Bulletin 124 - Français (PDF) - 70 kB

For more information, please contact:
UN OCHA CAR | Gisele Willybiro-Maïdou | willybiro@un.org | +236 70 18 80 61
UNDP CAR | Tino Kreutzer | tino.kreutzer@undp.org | +236 75 57 50 34