VZCZCXYZ0030
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAS #0444/01 1241700
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041700Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7432
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0431

UNCLAS ALGIERS 000444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF AG
SUBJECT: GARDENS IN THE SAHARA: PROPOSAL FOR JULIA TAFT 
 
REFUGEE FUND 
 
REF: STATE 14280 
 
¶1. For PRM consideration under the Julia Taft Refugee Fund, 
Embassy Algiers proposes to fund the development of a 
demonstration farm and ongoing training program, and to 
provide 60 Western Sahara refugee families in the Auserd 
refugee camp with the skills, tools, and supplies needed to 
grow sustainable home gardens.  The gardens will improve 
nutrition and quality of life in an extremely arid and 
inhospitable region. 
 
¶2. This project is being proposed in conjunction with the 
American NGO Not Forgotten International, Inc. (NFI) and 
their partnership with UJSARIO (Sahrawi National Youth 
Organization).  UJSARIO has been working to provide the 
refugee youth with meaningful activities that can contribute 
to family and society life in the camps.  Therefore, youth 
will be intentionally included for training with each family 
participating in the project. 
 
¶3. Sixty (60) families will be selected from the refugee camp 
of Auserd, the poorest of the five main camps Sahrawi refugee 
camps in the Tindouf area.  They will be selected by the 
leadership team of UJSARIO who, because of their 
infrastructure and their 10-year partnership with NFI, are 
best positioned to know the family situations on the ground 
as they relate to the project focus.  The leadership team 
will choose the neediest families as recommended by UJSARIO 
workers who lead youth activities in every neighborhood of 
the camp. 
 
¶4. A Sahrawi agricultural engineer will provide training and 
oversight to each participating family, teaching them all the 
necessary aspects of preparing, planting, irrigating, caring 
for, and harvesting a family garden.  The families will be 
taught to plant crops in a rotation of three or four growing 
seasons during a 12-month period.  They will be provided with 
seeds, a plastic mesh wind-barrier, a standard water bin, 
irrigation tubes, and organic materials to increase the 
fertility of the sand for each garden.  Water will come from 
the standard Auserd water delivery system. 
 
¶5. Training will be provided by the Sahrawi agricultural 
engineer at the beginning of the project, with ongoing 
oversight continuing at appropriate intervals throughout the 
year.  Additional training will be provided as needed 
throughout the growing seasons.  Families will also be taught 
how seeds can be harvested and used to plant future crops. 
 
¶6. Purchase/Finance: The total proposed budget for this 
project is USD 41,500, including cash expenses and the value 
of in-kind donations.  Of that, Embassy Algiers is 
recommending that the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees provide a 
total of USD 20,000 funding  for the following: USD 3,000 for 
seeds, organic materials, tools, and water; USD 7,800 for 
water tanks; and USD 9,200 for the drip irrigation system. 
NFI will match this grant with USD 21,500 of its own money to 
complete this project. 
 
¶7. Partner NGO: NFI has provided the following code of 
conduct for review by PRM: 
 
BEGIN TEXT:  In accordance with the mission and practice of 
Not Forgotten, International, Inc. (NFI) and principles of 
international law and codes of conduct, all NFI humanitarian 
staff, including full and part-time staff, interns, 
contractors, and volunteers (NFI humanitarian workers), are 
responsible for promoting respect for fundamental human 
rights, social justice, and human dignity.  While respecting 
the dignity and worth of every individual, the NFI 
humanitarian worker will treat all persons equally without 
distinction whatsoever of race, gender, religion, color, 
national or ethnic origin, language, marital status, sexual 
orientation, age, socio-economic status, disability, 
political conviction, or any other distinguishing feature. 
 
NFI humanitarian workers will uphold the UN Secretary General 
Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual 
Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). 
 
Definitions: 
 
¶I. For purposes of definition, sexual exploitation means any 
actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, 
differential power, or trust for sexual purposes, including 
but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially, or 
politically from the sexual exploitation of another. 
 
II. For the purpose of definition, sexual abuse means the 
actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, 
 
whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. 
 
Prohibitions: 
 
¶I. Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse constitute acts of 
serious misconduct and are therefore grounds for disciplinary 
measures, including summary dismissal; 
 
II. Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 
18) is prohibited regardless of the age of majority or age of 
consent locally.  Mistaken belief in the age of a child is 
not a defense. 
 
III. Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for 
sex, including sexual favors or other forms of humiliating, 
degrading or exploitative behavior, is prohibited. This 
includes any exchange of assistance that is due to 
beneficiaries of assistance. 
 
IV. Sexual relationships between NFI humanitarian workers and 
beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on 
inherently unequal power dynamics, undermine the credibility 
and integrity of humanitarian aid work; 
 
¶V. Where an NFI humanitarian worker develops concerns or 
suspicions regarding sexual abuse or exploitation by a fellow 
staff or volunteer, s/he must report such concerns via 
reporting mechanisms; 
 
VI. All NFI humanitarian workers are obliged to create and 
maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and 
sexual abuse and promotes the implementation of this code of 
conduct. 
 
The prohibitions set out above are not intended to be an 
exhaustive list.  Other forms of sexually exploitive or 
sexually abusive behavior may be grounds for administrative 
action or disciplinary measures, including summary dismissal 
or removal. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
¶8. Oversight: Post has tasked one political officer to cover 
the refugee portfolio; he will ensure oversight of the 
project.  Embassy personnel visit the Sahrawi refugee camps 
at Tindouf one to two times per year.  We have regular 
contact with the NGO that will administer the grant; its 
members travel frequently to Tindouf and have agreed to 
provide us with periodic project updates. 
 
¶9. Embassy Algiers points of contact for this proposal are 
Ryan Campbell (CampbellRT@state.gov) and Lynn Segas 
(SegasLM@state.gov).  Post is happy to provide additional 
details upon request. 
PEARCE