Congo/Talangaï: identity documents issued to vulnerable households

The operation to issue over 6,000 birth certificates, national identity cards (CNI) and unique identification numbers (NIU) to beneficiaries began on January 15 at the Talangaï town hall in Brazzaville's sixth arrondissement. This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Humanitarian Action and the World Bank, aims to facilitate access to government assistance programs for people living in precarious neighborhoods.

The pilot operation involves a total of 6,338 administrative documents, including 2,381 birth certificates, 1,743 NICs and 2,214 NIUs. The beneficiaries come from several neighborhoods often exposed to flooding and precariousness, namely: Ngamakosso, Kanga-Mbanzi, Simba-Pelle, Texaco La Tsiémé, Lipouta and Devala.

According to Mermans Babounga, communications specialist with the Projet de protection sociale et d'inclusion productive des jeunes (Psipj), the Ministry of Social Affairs is committed to the success of the operation. " The operation we're carrying out in Talangaï involves distributing identity documents to households living in precarious neighborhoods. Once equipped with these documents, these households will be able to register more easily for the assistance projects and programs implemented by the government ", he explained.

The official points out that the absence of civil status documents is a major obstacle to accessing social assistance. " The government cannot assist a household that cannot register. All the logistics involved in producing national identity cards, NIUs and birth certificates have been entirely taken care of by the project ", he explains, referring to the technical, human and financial resources mobilized.

In addition to issuing the documents, the operation will update the Single Social Register (RSU), a national database listing vulnerable households. This digital tool will facilitate the rapid identification of people in need of assistance, particularly in the event of natural disasters. Thanks to the RSU," added Mermans Babounga, "assistance services will be able to intervene more effectively with affected households. If the results of this pilot phase are deemed conclusive, the government plans to extend the operation to other localities in the country.

For the beneficiaries, this initiative marks an important step towards greater social and administrative inclusion. Prudence Ndzossi, a resident of the Kanga-Mbanzi district, is delighted to receive her NIU. " With this document, I will not only be able to benefit from social assistance, but also open a bank account and access other opportunities ", she confides.

Source: www.adiac-congo.com/