On 28 April 2015, the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was declared the Country Winner for Sudan of the 2014 Saville Foundation Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education. The award was given to UNAMID’s Community-based, Labour-Intensive Projects (CLIPs) programme, led by the Mission’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Section.

UNAMID DDR’s CLIPs programme seeks to bolster peace building initiatives in Darfur, in collaboration with the Government of Sudan, through community stabilization, reduction of armed violence, banditry and crimes committed by “at risk” youth through promoting the adoption of peaceful livelihoods and socially responsible behaviour. Direct beneficiaries of the CLIPs programme are trained to develop alternative livelihoods through labour-intensive public works projects, income-generating activities and vocational skills training.

Since its inception, UNAMID DDR has successfully implemented 58 projects through local implementing partners across Darfur. These projects have directly benefited more than 9,000 “at-risk” youth in 70 communities. Moreover, some 130,000 community members have benefited from construction of community infrastructure such as schools, youth and multipurpose centres’ in addition to livelihood, agricultural and sanitation projects.

“The CLIPs programme is one of the Mission’s continuing success stories as it seeks to create independence and social responsibility amongst Darfur’s youth. I take this opportunity to congratulate the DDR section as well as collaborating local partners on winning this prestigious award. I encourage them to continue their commendable endeavour to impact positively on the ongoing peace efforts in the Darfur region,” said the UNAMID’s Acting Joint Special Representative, Abiodun Bashua.

The Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education was established to reward organizations in Africa that are taking an innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable approach to education. This year, more than 500 organizations from across Africa took part in the competition of which 38 organizations, from different countries, were awarded.