Nafa program: Beneficiaries Express Joy of relief in NBR

By Ndey Sowe

As more beneficiaries are been enrolled in the Nafa Program in the remaining 17 districts across the country, beneficiaries in the North Bank Region (NBR) have expressed joy and happiness for been registered into the Nafa Program.

Amie Mbye and Ndey Faal, both beneficiaries of Dibba Kunda Wolof thanked the project for the laudable initiative as the project will bring happiness and joy into their homes.

Most of the beneficiaries said the project will help them within backyard garden and some said they will buy small ruminants for the future to be able to serve them even when the project ends.

“We have also benefitted from training on how to use the money”, one of the beneficiaries added.

The National Nutrition Agency, Department of Community Development and Directorates of Social Welfare are implementing the Nafa Program as part of The Gambia Social Safety Net Project, which aims to strengthen the Coordination of social assistance activities and increase the inclusion of the extremely poor in the Nafa Program.

Yusupha Jawo, working with NaNA as Regional Field Officer based in Farafenni overseeing the whole of North Bank East Region in an interview at Dibba Kunda Wolof said they were able to do four communities in one day and were able to enrolled 60 beneficiaries comprising two teams.

When ask about challenges they face, Mr Jawo indicates that they are not much because, before the enrolment, they came round for the validation (when the beneficiary households list was printed out) to verify those households that exists within the community and that they are the right households.

Mr. Jawo explained that each household has a separate identification number.

“We are encouraging men to empower women to be the principal recipient because we feel women have more time to sit and listen to our health education sections that are the Social and Behavioural Change Communication. Because men are always in a haste and most of those messages if you look at it, the women take part in most of those work at home “, Mr. Jawo added.

Ida Joof, from the Directorate of Social Welfare, Ousman Dem, Program Manager    NaNa at the Social and Behavioural Change Department among others made some positive remarks about proceedings.