The World Food Programme (WFP) collaborates with the Ministry of Trade in Iraq to support the digitalization of the Public Distribution System (PDS). This is vital to the country's social protection system. Extending services across the population, the system also ensures inclusive distribution of in-kind food assistance.
A group of 40 UN Volunteers belonging to local communities was deployed by WFP in Iraq’s Duhok Governorate, which is located in the Kurdistan Region.
In line with the Public Distribution System reform agenda, this group served alongside field enumerators to register Duhok residents.
Serving tirelessly for three months, volunteers supported the registration of the newly issued PDS cards and also updated the residents' demographic information in the system - between 50 to 100 family registrations were carried out daily. Volunteers did so by using digital tablets.
Mohammed Bayar was one of the volunteers updating the information. He says, "This task was beyond just data entry. We interacted with a diverse range of families. We learned how to register on the new digital system while ensuring accuracy and reliability of the data we entered."
Before their assignments began, UN Volunteers received an intensive two-day training from WFP on necessary skills. Once trained, the volunteers started touring different registration stations across Duhok.
"We learned how to communicate with people of all ages and with different needs, including persons with disabilities. Traveling to distant locations allowed us to learn first-hand about the living conditions in less-privileged localities.” -- Dleen Sulaiman and Basma Taha, UN Community Volunteers with WFP in Iraq.
The sense of camaraderie is what Dleen and Basma treasure most about the project. “Together we faced many challenges and were able to overcome them. We formed new friendships and experienced a sense of equality. We had a family-like feeling," they add.
Qutaiba Al-Ibadi, Programme Policy Officer at WFP Iraq raves about the positive attitude of UN Community Volunteers, "Their commitment towards PDS reform in Duhok ensured registrations were completed in record time and with the highest accuracy standards.”
“Collaborating with UN Volunteers creates a mutually beneficial situation. WFP provided training and volunteers brought invaluable social and digital experiences while also having the chance to attain new proficiencies and further hone their skills.” Yasser Al-Mimar, Project Manager with WFP in Iraq.
As the UN Volunteers conclude their assignment, WFP notes that over 93 per cent of beneficiaries in Duhok are registered. UN Volunteers contributed to 32 per cent of the overall results.