By: Nyima Sillah
A group of Togolese refugees in The Gambia has alleged of been sidelined by The Gambia Food and Nutrition Association (GAFNA) as they didn’t receive any support from the nation’s food association.
The group’s spokesperson, Ahuadjogbe Yao Mathieu, told The Voice in an exclusive interview that the group wrote to Gambia Food Nutrition Association several times requesting for help to start up business “but they rejected the letter whilst other refugees from other countries always get support.”
According to him, last year he wrote to GAFNA again but they packed his letter and told him that they couldn’t find it until last minute before they pulled it out from among other papers and said the money requested was too much. Therefore, they cannot help him to start up his business.
He said despite him having the refugee card and all his effort to get support from GAFNA the only time they came to his aid was in December…… Then he said he was given a cheque for “D25,000 which wasn’t enough for me.”
“During this pandemic other refugees have been receiving support several times but we the Togolese are suffering. Some Togolese left this country because they don’t get support like other refugees,” he said.
According to him in The Gambia “we the Togolese aren’t considered in terms of support while other Nationalities are enjoying and we cannot go back to our country because is unsafe,” he added.
Another Togolese refugee, Charles Kofi, also alleged that he followed the association for support during the pandemic but he didn’t get the support.
“I owe my landlord four months because of this pandemic problem I contacted GAFNA in other to settle my bills they said no money. Last week I went back and they said they don’t have anything for me. If they have, they will call me,” he said.
“Refugees in the country are suffering more especially the Togolese and we don’t have relatives to support us,” Fatime Tchagole, a female Togolese said.
She however confirmed receiving support from the Government and GAFNA, but quick to say that it is not enough to sustain any family during this pandemic.
She added that “GAFNA don’t like the Togolese, our Togolese leader went there and they drove him like a dog. Besides, my people want to go out and protest for the government to consider us like other refugees but I told them not to go ahead.”
Lassine Kone, a Cote D Ivoire refugee Businessman, said GAFNA gave him D25,000 during this pandemic but he has been managing all this while by himself. “I have been in the Gambia for the past six years but i never get a support from GAFNA until this pandemic.
