
Our Success in
Mauritania
2019
Started Working in Mauritania
4
Projects
22K
Direct Beneficiaries & Program Participants
69%
Female Participants
200K
Indirect Beneficiaries & Program Participants
Situation in Mauritania
Mauritania hosts over 2’500 urban refugees and asylum- seekers and almost 55’000 Malian refugees in and around Mbera Refugee Camp. Despite the conclusion of a peace agreement in 2015, large-scale Malian refugees’ large-scale returns are not expected due to persistent violence in northern and central Mali. In January 2019 alone, 313 new arrivals were registered in Mbera Refugee Camp; the crisis’s protracted nature has prompted United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to engage actors critical to the strengthening of the humanitarian-development nexus. The refugee population in Mbera Refugee Camp is relatively young, with children (less than 18 years) numbering 32’653 (50.6% Female, 49.4% Male).
Out of a total of 32’653 children in the camp, around 20’000 are of school age. But according to UNHCR January 2019 statistics, 3’058 children attended primary school students (1’564 girls and 1’493 boys) and 353 students from secondary school.
According to findings by RET, poverty, and cultural norms (early marriage and pregnancy, low perception of the value of girls’ education) are significant barriers impacting girls’. There are cases of sexual violence against girls within the school setting that are even perpetrated by the school staff; though, there are no available statistics to document these violations. The forms of gender-based violence most prevalent in camp and local communities outside continue to force child marriage, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation (FGM), rape, and physical assault.
While poverty and household socioeconomic vulnerability often pave the way to a child forced marriage, the latter is perceived as a ‘protection marriage,’ protecting young girls from premarital sex, a pregnancy outside marriage, sexual assault, and rape. In reality, it compromises a girl’s future by resulting in early pregnancy, interrupting her schooling, and placing her at increased domestic violence risk. Rape is often unreported due to mistrust, and the victims’ fear of marginalization, rejection and stigmatization.
RET’s Interventions
RET entered Mauritania in 2019 to ensure inclusive and equitable access to educational opportunities and provide protection services and tailor-made solutions, building on the field mission findings to address existing and/or recurring humanitarian, peace, and development gaps.
To date, RET has targeted more than 22 K direct participants in the Mbera refugee camp and 6 villages in Moughataa of Bassikounou ( SIDRE (Bassikounou); AGHOR (Megve); LEMGHAISS (Bassikounou); KLEIVE (Fassala); KINDJERLE (Fassala); BERETOUMA (Fassala) throughout 4 projects implemented and supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) , UNHCR and UNICEF.
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New Project Launch – MALI – Empowering Vulnerable Women & Youth
RET officially launched its new project in Mali to address Food Insecurity, Peaceful Relations and Economic Interdependence among the Affected Communities. Project Title: Improved Livelihoods and Food Security through Training in Climate-Adaptive Agriculture, Handicrafts, and Peaceful Relations and Economic Interdependence among Communities. (2022-2025) Insecurity, high population growth, weak infrastructure, and low levels of human capital…
Addressing the Multidimensional Barriers to Girls’ Education in Niger
Addressing the Multidimensional Barriers to Girls’ Education in Niger Niger is among the world’s countries with the lowest girls’ enrolment, retention, and school completion rates. According to UNICEF, 2.5 million children and adolescents are out of school.[1] 5 Only 19% of girls in rural areas complete primary education. This number drops to a worrying 8% among the…
RET won the “Prize of Excellence” for its work with child soldiers and the communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Sunday, September 11th, 2022, RET Germany was awarded the “Prize of Excellence” by the Association Sans But Lucratif (ASBL) “Tous vers un-Congo Nouveau”, (T.C.N) -All towards a new Congo- for its work with child soldiers since 2012 in DRC. During the ceremony, multiple awards were distributed to individuals and non-profit organizations working to promote youth…
Webinar “Comprehensive Approach within Women’s Socio-Economic Empowerment Programmes are Key for Collective Sustainable Development: Leap Women’s Co-Operative and Leap Natural Social Enterprise Example from Türkiye.” The Regional Forum for Sustainable Development 2022 | The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Check out the Webinar Recording here! Türkiye hosts around 7 million refugees (Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan) who have fled their home countries. Disproportionately affected by crises, women and girls face more adversities, including barriers to access to basic services, such as health services, education, livelihoods, and employment opportunities, coupled with protection risks and higher risks…
Gender Equality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow
International Women’s Day – March 8, 2022 The International Women’s Day, March 8, is an opportunity to reflect on the advances and gaps in gender equity and commemorate how women and girls are leading the solutions to address global problems, including climate change within RET’s programs. The UN 2022 theme focuses on “Gender equality today for…
Pest Monitoring and Integrated Pest Management – Lebanon
RET is implementing a project aimed at “Strengthening the resilience and peaceful coexistence of Lebanese and Syrian refugees through increased income generation in the agricultural and food production sectors” in Lebanon, in partnership with the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute. A Training of Trainers (ToT) was organized in Tel Al-Amarah station, tackling traps and attractants and their…