By Kumba Leigh
The National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) together with its implementing partners like the Department of Community Development and the Department of Social Welfare has rolled out the extended phase of the Nafa programme under The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion Skills, and Equity Project (The Gambia RISE Project).
The Nafa initiative is under the Social Safety Net component of The Gambia RISE, which includes Social and Behavioural Change Communication.
In an interview during the Nafa programme roll-out in Ngaige, Upper Saloum in Central River Region (CRR), Mr Abdou Aziz Ceesay, highlighted how the Social Safety Net Project (SSNP) has helped uplift the extremely poor households and created opportunities for the youth.
The Gambia RISE is World Bank-supported project with about 5 components and with the objectives of uplifting foundational learning for early grades, increase access to job opportunities for the youth, and income generating opportunities for the vulnerable and the poor.
Director Ceesay explained that every component has contributed to the development of the project objective. He acknowledged the commitment of all partners involved in the implementation of the project.
“I am really impressed for the fact that we started with the social and behavioural change aspect of it before cash disbursements to beneficiaries. There was also a massive brainstorming with participants on the various educational topics and their knowledge on the modules in SBCC, which serves as a sustainability mechanism to build resilience of the extremely poor and the vulnerable communities,” he stated.
Noting the importance of the cash roll-out Mr Ceesay said the successes registered and the involvement of the vulnerable and poor communities are key priorities to the project’s objectives.
He said the money is not the end but the means; and that their objective is to change behaviours and build the resilience of the community members.
On his expectations about the sustainability of the project, and future plans, the SBCC Director had this to say: “ The communities’ engagements in business strategy development, developmental education and savings from the NAFA cash transfer will help them get involve in microfinance and increase their revenue base of the households, thereby help provide feeding, improve diversified diet and help improve the health and nutrition of their families, and reduce mal-nutrition.”
He reported that from the money given to beneficiaries, some have already started investing in poultry, backyard gardening, ruminant rearing amongst others to help minimise poor situation in vulnerable and poor households.
Mr Ceesay seized the opportunity to call on more partners to join them address nutrition issues in the country, saying addressing nutrition means addressing poverty. “Because poverty is a very important factor and there is the need for concerted efforts through the involvement of all partners including private sector, CSOs, NGOs, the media and the Gambia government to ensure this is achieved”.
In terms of monitoring and evaluation for sustainability, Director Ceesay informed that the World Bank will identify an independent body responsible for assessing the overall project implementation.
He further informed that there would be a post-distribution survey, beneficiary survey, mid-term evaluation, end-line evaluation and panel analysis, independently done without the involvement of the implementing partners.
The Director revealed that there are plans in place to target vulnerable and poor households in the Kombos. He said due to resource constraints at the commencement of the project implementation, extremely poor households and vulnerable districts in the country are prioritised through the help of the GAMSR data.
