Following the political and security crisis in the Central African Republic, the Bili Health District - located in Bosobolo (Democratic Republic of Congo)- is facing a large influx of refugees and the resulting demographic and socio-economic pressures. This is further compounded by the climate issues caused by El Niño: its heavy rains have decimated food reserves, seeds and hundreds of hectares of fields, as well as having greatly increased the risk of cholera outbreaks locally and in the surrounding areas. Estimates of PRONAUT and WFP in 2016 report a worrying situation: 59% of the population is at risk of food in security, with refugee women among the most exposed. Less than 10% of children aged 6-23 months have a diversified diet and farmers do not have access to improved seeds and adequate farming tools.

COOPI intervened through a multisectoral project to strengthen the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations in Bosobolo, focusing on supporting to the most vulnerable people affected by migratory movements (refugees from the Central African Republic, malnourished children, people with disabilities, elderly people) and floods. It also aimed at reducing the high rates of mortality and morbidity generated by epidemics and conflicts between communities.

In order to diversify the financial capacities and livelihoods of families, the project identified 2000 families to assist in agricultural and fishing activities through the distribution of seeds, agricultural tools and fishing kits (dugouts, nets, fishing rods, etc.). Community organisations composed of both local people and refugees have benefited from basic training sessions on the creation and management of income-generating activities, including financial management and the production chain up to the promotion and marketing of products. 46 local associations have benefited from money transfers to start their own production, such as cassava, peanut paste, soap and sugar manufacture, while 5 women's associations have been supported financially and through training sessions for the creation of ovens to cook smoke fish, while others have received machinery for the processing of palm oil and coffee.

With regard to nutrition, RECOs (Community Health Promoters) have been trained on how to perform nutritional screening for children aged 0-5 years to identify cases of malnutrition, so as to facilitate case-reporting to reference facilities and the handling of cases of severe acute malnutrition. This activity has allowed about 22,500 children to undergo nutritional screening, 1600 of whom have been directed to care facilities for more in-depth sceening by medical staff. Among these, 828 children were admitted to the nutritional programme. In total, about 1300 malnourished children were taken care of, 98% of whom were cured at the end of the nutritional programme.

At the same time, 650 mothers in the community were trained to use the MUAC bracelets they received to measure the circumference of their child's arm in order to monitor their nutritional status and identify signs of malnutrition in time for care.

The supervision of both agricultural and fishing  activities, as well as of those related to malnutrition, involved the partecipation of the provincial authorities fostered by COOPI in order to ensure their monitoring indipendence even after the end of the intervention.