By Ndey Sowe
Enrolment of beneficiaries into the Nafa Program has recently commenced in the Foni district, West Coast Region (WCR).
The stakeholders include the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), Department of Community Development and Directorates of Social Welfare that are implementing the Nafa Program as part of The Gambia Social Safety Net project.
The program aim at strengthening the Coordination of social assistance activities and increase the inclusion of the extremely poor in the Nafa Program.
Nafa Program is a combination of Cash Transfer and Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) that is being implemented in phases. The first phase involved three districts (Foni Bintang in West Coast Region, Nianija in the Central River Region, and Wuli West in the Upper River Region). The project is now rolling out to the remaining 17 other districts across the country.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve the Coordination of social assistance activities, provide temporary social assistance, support to rural households in the awake of Covid-19, and increase inclusion of the extremely poor in the Nafa Program.
Speaking to this forum at Kanjabena in Foni Berefet, Oumie Touray at Department of Community Development said the project targets all the five regions in the Gambia.
“Right now we do not have any challenges everything is going on well. We started in Kanaw which is four households and registered three household already,” she explained.
She stressed that the beneficiaries are extremely poor households and right now they will benefit from one year six months in phases.
“Giving D3000 to the extremely poor households for one year six months, I think that one is a lot for Gambian, ” she stated.
A beneficiary, Ida Sanneh also at Kanjabeba expressed happiness for being enrolled into the program.
“The project will help us alleviate poverty and suffering as the COVID-19 has greatly impacted our livelihoods. This will help our school children”, she said while thanked all partners especially the World Bank and the Government of The Gambia for the support.
In another community in Kansala, Fatou Suso working with the Department of Community Development in an interview said the enrollment is going on well and the turnout is very good.
“All of them are coming with their necessary documents and we are encouraging women as the principle beneficiaries and women are responding positively”, she added.
According to here they have no challenges as the enrolment continues, thus saying they are targeting 294 households in the whole Kansala as beneficiary.
All beneficiaries that spoke to this medium applauded the Nafa program prayed for continuity and as well thanked the partners for the supports.
Fatou Fatty in Kansala from the Directorates of Social Welfare reiterated the same remarks as previous speakers that they do not have any challenges while she encouraged women to be the recipient of the money and most of the householders abide by that.
Communities visited during the enrollment in Foni Berefet are Kanaw, Kanjabena, Ndemban Jola, in Foni Bondali was Buramba, Kanwally, Kanjbat, Kanling, in Foni Kansala was Luluchorr, Baipal, Ballen and Kurunorr and in Foni Jarrol was Sintet.
