Equal Access International (EAI) currently leads the five-year USAID-funded $20.7 million Resilience for Peace (R4P) project in Côte d’Ivoire, which broke new ground by successfully deploying the Mobile One Stop Clinic (Guichet Unique Mobile) in all R4P regions, providing northern communities with access to national identity cards and vehicle license plates, a critical step to reducing harassment and exclusion and expanding employment opportunities, particularly for minority and marginalized groups. 

The GUM, now in its third year, is currently travelling across Northern Côte d’Ivoire and is helping bridge a gap in services with local communities, resulting in enhanced confidence in the central government. Thanks to the GUM, over 10,000 documents are now enabling community members to move freely, without fears of fines, and reducing conflict with government security forces. In the past two years, thousands of community members have obtained vehicle registrations, driver’s licenses, license plates, vehicle insurance, and national identification cards.  One young man from Fanfala obtained all his documents in under an hour. “I’m running to tell everyone in the village!” he said.

Additionally, with their new ID cards, Ivorians can now register their children for school and vote in local elections. The GUM strengthened relations with The Department of Transportation government workers that supported the effort by showing them the importance of the activity and getting to interact with the community.

R4P also organized socio-cultural exchanges attracting hundreds of participants to discuss education, income diversification, peacekeeping, and good governance, all with an eye toward bridging inter-ethnic conflict in areas prone to increased violence. The success of the GUM offers a spark of hope in Côte d’Ivoire in mending community-government relations, reducing conflict, and promoting stability by helping villages prevent and resist VE through research, economic empowerment and community action. R4P focuses on issues threatening peace and stability by identifying and empowering income generating entrepreneurship opportunities, improving access to land and services for marginalized groups, facilitating community engagement, and breaking down inter-ethnic and inter-community barriers. 

“It’s truly a relief. Because of the GUM, I could get my vehicle registration certificate and sticker and license plate. Now I won’t be afraid to go out because I know I’m in compliance with the law,” said a local teacher.