By Kumba Leigh
The National Nutrition Agency, in partnership with the Department of Community Development and Directorate of Social Welfare, are implementing the new phase of the Nafa Programme, under the Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills and Equity (RISE) Project. The Gambia RISE project is a World Bank-supported initiative that aims to increase foundational learning of early-grade students; access to job-relevant training for youth; and income-generating opportunities, particularly for the poor and vulnerable; as well as address issues of gender based violence, child marriage, amongst others.
The Nafa Programme under the Gambia RISE Project involves cash transfer and Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC). It is currently being implemented in 20 rural poorest districts. It entails a bi-monthly cash transfer to beneficiaries in all the districts.
Kaddy Bah, of Nyentenpu village in Foni, West Coast Region, is one of the beneficiaries of the NAFA Cash Transfer exercise. Sharing her impressions about the initiative, Kaddy expressed gratitude for a beneficiary. She delight that the benefits are not limited to just receiving cash but also others like educational and business trainings on animal husbandry, poultry, payment of their children school fees and provision of learning materials.
Sallimata Sowe, also a beneficiary from Nyentenpu, revealed that aside being fortunate to have received cash twelve times, she had also undergone a series of trainings on soap-making, and rearing of animals. As a result, she reported that her and her family’s livelihoods have become enhanced.
Salimata informed that she has been benefitting from this project for twelve months now and that it has lifted her business in many possible ways. She therefore thanked Gambia RISE for the great help since its inception, especially to women of The Gambia.
Jainaba Sanyang, Principal Welfare Officer, Directorate of Social Welfare, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, informed that the aim and objective of the project is to help the most vulnerable groups; especially the poor. “This will ensure that the issues of child abuse, child exploitations, child marriage, FGM and sexual and gender based violence acts are minimised in communiities; thereby helping to enhance our work as a directorate,” she stressed.
The Gambia is considered as one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US$808 in 2022 and has an estimated population of 2.6 million. The economy relies primarily on agriculture, tourism, and remittance inflows. Agriculture contributes around 20 percent of GDP and serves as the main source of livelihood for roughly 80 percent of the rural population, while tourism accounts for another 20 percent of GDP. These vulnerable economic realities characterised by inadequate diversification, susceptibility to external shocks, and limited integration into regional and international markets explained to some extent its economic performance.
More work is needed in The Gambia to achieve gender equality, and women are deeply affected by economic declines and shocks. The Gambia ranks low (148 out of 189 countries) on the Gender Inequality Index, and gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent. Further as a result of COVID-19, many Gambians were pushed into poverty. The poverty rate (US$2.15 per day in purchasing power parity terms) increased from 13.5 percent in 2015 to 21.2 percent in 2020.
