Ding Ding Bantaba Federation, a partner
community-based organisation to ChildFund The Gambia, yesterday provided
disaster relief support to some 64 families within the three districts of Foni:
Berefet, Bintang and Kansala.
The total support extended to the districts is worth more than D200,000 and the support materials were presented at a ceremony held at the federation’s office in Sibanor.
Samba Keita, programme development officer of Ding Ding Bantaba Federation, said the organisation is striving towards reducing the risks of disasters – both natural and manmade – on people within the districts of Foni.
He said the relief support materials were cement, corrugated iron sheets and other materials to families affected by the heavy downpour of rains recently in the districts.
“This is a continuation of gesture that the federation has been doing over the years as an organisation working for the wellbeing of children and their families,” he said.
Mr Keita also said natural disasters are inevitable but their organisation is striving towards reducing its risks and impacts on the people.
Every year, he noted, Ding Ding Bantaba Federation usually receives request from disaster-stricken families for support in procuring materials such as cement or corrugated iron sheet to repair their houses damaged by wind or rain.
“Normally these are families that we are dealing with directly so we take it upon ourselves to cater for them on annual basis to mitigate the anticipated risks,” Keita said.
He said thanks to the federation’s partnership with ChildFund, they are now trying to mainstream disaster in their programmes so that event of disaster could be curtailed.
The Ding Ding Bantaba Federation programme officer explained that from their experience some disaster victims are genuinely worth supporting but there are those that “when you give them the materials they either not use it for the intended purposes or sell it to make money.
“We would not compromise that now and we have put some strong monitoring mechanisms one of which is to go to homes of the beneficiaries to see whether the materials given to them are used for the right purposes,” Mr Keita said.
Karafa M. Badjie, a member of the board of directors of Ding Ding Bantaba Federation, expressed delight at the federation’s continued support to families “at such difficult period”.
He noted that natural disasters are inevitable as no one can prevent them from happening but people can mitigate risks.
Beneficiaries Mariama Sowe and Karafanding Badjie commended the benefactors on behalf of other beneficiaries “for the wonderful support” and assured that the materials will be used for its intended purposes.
