During an interview with The Point at the Diabugou Health Center in the Upper River Region, Loli Joum, a beneficiary of the cash disbursement program, shared a heartfelt story with our reporter.
The ongoing Nafa cash transfer program, is spearheaded by the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in partnership with the Directorate of Social Welfare (DSW) and the Department of Community Development (DCD). These agencies are currently implementing The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity (RISE) project.
The project, collaboratively financed by the World Bank and the Gambian government, is set to establish a strong foundation for promoting sustainable livelihoods among the poor and vulnerable populations.
The Nafa program, part of the RISE project, is being implemented in 20 of the most impoverished districts. Approximately 17,000 extremely poor households are set to benefit from bi-monthly cash transfers of D3000 along with behavioral change initiatives, all over a span of 36 months.
She spoke with great sincerity, urging the World Bank and its partners to reconsider their support and increase the bi-monthly cash disbursement, currently set at D3000.
Loli, a physically challenged elderly woman from Diabugu-Bantanba, expressed her deep gratitude to the World Bank, the government, NaNA, and other partners for their crucial intervention in assisting the most vulnerable households in the country.
While expressing gratitude for the support provided through the initiative, she further urged the implementing partners to adjust the amount given to them, adding: “We definitely appreciate what is been given to us, and I do not devalue the amount given to us, but due to my age and health condition, as you can see, I am physically challenged and I cannot do anything physically.”
She further added: “It would bring me great joy if they could increase the amount we typically receive, enabling me to produce and sell local soap and detergent, which would help me generate income to support myself, and my family, and cover our medical expenses,” she postulated.
She described the Nafa project as a ‘transformative initiative’, emphasising the significant benefits her family has reaped from it, saying: “In light of these positive outcomes, I am urging the World Bank and its partners to consider increasing funding for the project.”
