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3rd August Northwest Southwest Cameroon Shelter Cluster Meeting

Summary Action Points of the Meeting

  • CRS to share Terms of Reference for the Cash Training for Shelter Cluster partners with the Shelter Cluster Coordinator and also to share  with partners for their comments so that training corresponds to cash for shelter needs of all partners. 
  • Shelter Cluster to incorporate read-in function for the GPS of each of the locations of partners in the 5W Kobo form. For partners that have already reported their planned activities, when re-entering their completed activities in each location, it is not necessary to re-submit the GPS point. Over time the Shelter Cluster will also work with other clusters to look at the IOM MSNA to ensure that there is a better system of mapped out villages for the future. 
  • Shelter Cluster partners implementing activities through cash or voucher to make sure that the items distributed reflects the actual items purchased or redeemed by beneficiaries when activity is reported as completed. 
  • Shelter Cluster team to follow up on 5W form issues that Caritas encountered when filling in the form. 
  • Shelter Cluster to update activities upcoming in the West and Littoral for the light shelter coordination mechanism. 
  • Shelter Cluster partners to vote for the Co-Chair process (circulated through a separate email to NWSW Shelter Cluster Partners)
  • Shelter Cluster team to contact UNHCR protection team implementing multipurpose cash to ensure that shelter data used for before and after implementaton contributes to awareness of shelter situation. 
  • Shelter Cluster to work with principle Shelter agencies to pilot the use of the Shelter Cluster checklist and to liaise with Protection Cluster on data privacy issues and whether the blind unique code would cause any issues in that regard. 
  • Shelter Cluster partners who have not yet done so to share available price monitoring data with the Cluster team. 
  • Shelter Cluster team to draft price monitoring tool to disseminate to Shelter Cluster partners to have regular updates on the price situation in country especially during this time of rising global prices. 
  • NRC to share lessons learned during the next Shelter Cluster meeting from their Cash for Rent program being implemented in Northwest/Southwest
  • Shelter Cluster to communicate to partners dates for Post Distribution Monitoring Workshops

Recording of the Meeting

Updates from Shelter Cluster Partners

Plans for West and Littoral

  • Shumas has distributed Mattresses but has been working in the West since 2020 on livelihood projects
  • NRC has plans to scale up its activities in the West in the areas of HLP, Shelter, Education, and WASH. Specifically in the Shelter sector, they are looking at implementing NFI and rental programs. More precise plans will be communicated later as currently the priority is to finish planned activities in the Northwest and Southwest.
  • UNHCR is implementing a multipurpose cash project under the protection team. The Shelter Cluster will follow up with UNHCR for any shelter aspects and needs that the mpc may support on. 

Plans for Piloting Shelter Accountability Tool and upcoming Shelter Distributions

  • NRC has shelter distributions starting in 2-3 weeks time after implementation of the rental assistance program and then it can start using the tool. 
  • Caritas has shelter distributions planned for mid-August and can work with UNHCR and the Cluster to incorporate the tool into their programming. 
  • DRC is currently identifying new areas of implementation and can pilot those locations. Ostencia and Qasir to update Cluster on the timeline. 

Regular Shelter Cluster Partner Updates 

  • CRS: CRS did the voucher top up for 1560 households in Mezam and Momo Divisions. As of the end of July, 1249 households have actually redeemed NFIs. The transfer amount for the NFIs is actually 49,500 CFA which is not the full NFI kit cost, so households may not be able to purchase all NFI items. CRS will report the number of items redeemed by community in the 5W. It is hoped that in August the remaining households will also redeem the NFI items with the vouchers. 
  • Shumas continues supporting 23 IDP students with rental support in Bamenda 1 and Bamenda 3. The rental support will continue until the end of the year, and students will be going through a livelihood support project in relation with their graduation. 
  • Caritas: Caritas carried out NFI distributions in several communities in the Southwest in Fako Division: 219 Households were reached in Nagai, 230 in Mehumeri, and 368 in Tole. 91 households were also reached with Shelter support in Tole. Caritas will seek to clarify to the cluster some of the numbers that they submitted to the 5W before the reporting deadline submission. 
  • NRC: NRC is working to select beneficiaries for cash for rent. The project is targeting rent but also other aspets of needs including WASH and Livellihoods support and basic needs through an additional separate cash grant. NRC has noticed some challenges for its new activity in piloting voucher for construction materials particularly in remote communities in the NW. There are very limited vendors who have the required construction materials in stock. These challenges are causing some delays to that programming. NRC is also repairing some schools in the Southwest.
  • DRC: DRC encountered some internal challenges which caused the suspension of activities in June and July. DRC is hoping to be back on track in the coming weeks for implementation. 
  • IMC: IMC is not implementing in shelter but is wanting to collaborate closer with the Shelter Cluster as they are working at building a health center in Ako Subdivision. They recently reached out to UNHCR for support in the implementation of this project given the lack of infrastructure available locally. This is a good example of the Shelter Cluster supporting other sectors such as Health and Education on infrastructure and settlement issues.

Attendance list

Attendance was slighly impacted by different security advisories issued by agencies given the concern about lockdowns during the month of August. The link was not widely circulated to ensure in person presence to increase interactivity between cluster partners and to more efficiently advance the work. 

Partners in Bamenda: 

  • Caritas
  • CRS
  • CUAPWD
  • NRC
  • SHUMAS
  • UNHCR
  • WESAD

Partners in Buea: 

  • CEREDRUP
  • UNHCR

Partners Online: 

  • CRS
  • DRC
  • IRC