Malang N. Fofana made these remarks during the just concluded training program that was designed for facilitators for the upcoming implementation of the Positive Playful Parenting (PPP) project.
The training program was organised by NaNA, in collaboration with the Department of Community Development (DCD) and the Directorate of Social Welfare (DSW) and was funded by the World Bank.
The project was designed to expand and enhance social safety nets to improve the incomes and productivity of the poor and vulnerable. The PPP project, a twelve-month program which is targeting 225 communities in all the 6 Districts in the country also aims to ensure children’s productivity is harnessed in society.
In an interview with The Point, Executive Director Fofana revealed that the NANA is inclusive in whatever they do and as such they want to ensure that nobody is left behind.
“Behavioral change is a model and if you want to change the behaviors of people, you look at the surrounding of that person and who can possibly influence that person and we know Imams and Pastors are very influential in changing behaviors.” he noted.
“We also target them at some point and in the future, we will also bring them together Imams and Pastors and orient them on this project,” underscoring the crucial role of these opinion leaders in convincing their followers.
Abdul Aziz Ceesay, Director of Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) at NaNA revealed that importance of accompanying the cash transfer with social and behavioral change, saying their objective is to build the resilience of the extreme poor by getting them out of that poverty cycle.
Through that, he said, the PPP Project was introduced by the World Bank, a project his department is currently working on the first phase of PPP, expressing hope to develop the initiative that will promote it to desired objective, where children can develop that critical thinking mindset and sensory progression.
He disclosed that among their targets is to roll out to 600 to 800 communities by July this year.
Meanwhile, various speakers at different training sites, all described the significance of the PPP project, while assuring their commitment to making the project a successful one.
Elsewhere, similar trainings were held in Dippa Kunda in Sabaj Sanjal and Ngenj Sanjal in the North Bank Region and also in Sibanor and Arrengalen villages in the Fonis.
