Banjul, 20th February 2025: The Executive Director of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) Malang N. Fofana, has outlined plans of his agency and other implementing partners to champion children’s welfare and development in various aspects, including education and health, through the Positive Playful Parenting initiative.
Mr Fofana was speaking at the opening of the ongoing training of facilitators for the upcoming implementation of the Positive Playful Parenting (PPP) project. The training programme is being conducted by NaNA, in collaboration with the Department of Community Development (DCD) and the Directorate of Social Welfare (DSW.)
The PPP is a sub-component of the safety net component of the RISE Project, aimed to enhance the foundation for quality education through teachers’ training, curriculum development and enhance learning environment, as well as an innovative parenting model.
“The youths are the workforce of the population; so we want to look at skills training - build their skills so that they become more productive”.
He said in the area of education, they are partnering with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, for early child educational development.
Further on PPP, Mr Fofana said it is part of their plan to involve Imams and Pastors so that they could preach the significance of the positive playful parenting programme.
Mr Fofana underscored the significance of behavioral change communication. “If you want to change the behaviors of people, you look at their surrounding and who can possibly influence them. We know imams and pastors are very influential in changing behaviors,” he noted.
The project was designed to expand and enhance social safety nets to improve the incomes and productivity of the poor and vulnerable. The PPP project, a twelve-month programme is targeting 225 communities in all the 6 districts in the country which also aims to ensure children’s productivity is harnessed in society.
Abdul Aziz Ceesay, the Director of Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) at NaNA, revealed that the cash transfer is being accompanied with social and behavioral change with the objective to build the resilience of the extreme poor by getting them out of that poverty cycle.
He affirmed that the aim of the PPP Project is to expose the child to other things where the child can develop that critical thinking mindset and sensory progression.
He said their target is to roll out to 600 to 800 communities by July this year.
Kitim Kanaji, Community Development Representative in CRR, commended NanA for their efforts in transforming the welfare of children in various areas.
By Alhagie Babou Jallow
NaNA Boss Outlines Developmental Plan for Children’s Welfare
