The National Nutritional Agency (NaNA) has unveiled the Gambia Social Safety Net Project (GSSNP) which will facilitate the distribution of 10 million US dollars amongst 83 thousand Gambian rural households to sustain survival amid coronavirus outbreak.
The money will reach beneficiaries through the cash transfer scheme dubbed ‘nafa quick,’ aimed at supporting the extremely poor rural dwellers in the North Bank Region, Central River Region, Lower River Region and the entire Foni in the West Coast Region. It’s believed that this will mitigate the impact on the covid-19 pandemic on their livelihoods and that of their families.
NaNA’s executive director, Pa Modou Faal, said the gesture is possible through the World Bank and The Gambia Government. He holds that the funding will go a long way easing the difficulties of families at this time of the year.
“The ‘nafa quick ‘ intends to contribute to the mitigation of the social and economic impact of COVID-19 on the population by providing immediate universal cash transfer of D1, 500 per month (2 transfers of D3, 000) within four months to about 83, 000 households in 30 districts across the country,” said Lamin Njie, Finance Manager, NaNA.
According to him, the ten million dollars earmarked for distribution is part of the thirty-one million dollars ($31M) of Gambia Social Safety Network Project, meant to improve the coordination of social assistance activities and increase inclusion of the extreme poor through the Nafa Program.
Njie reveals that the World Bank contributed $30 million while the Gambia government contributed $1 million to bankroll the value project.
“This program is expected to cover four months whereby each household will be able to receive D6, 000 to help them during the period of July-October.”
Abdul Aziz Ceesay, social and behavioural change communication manager at NaNa said the project will improve household’s health, nutrition, early childhood development, adolescence, preventing and family planning and thus preventing gender-based violence within the country.
He stated that all households within the identified thirty districts in the country who received the government’s relief food package will equally receive the ‘Nafa Quick’ cash transfer.
In terms of receiving the money, he said each household must identify one principal receiver to receive the package on behalf of their families.
He said the structures are in place in ensuring a very smooth free cash transfer is conducted across the identified districts in the country. He added that they also put in place a grievance address system in all the regions.