The initiative is a collaborative effort between the World Food Programme (WFP), the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA).
The intervention, funded through the support of the JAWFP will provide crucial cash transfers to over 5,000 of the most vulnerable women farmers who have been disproportionately impacted by recent flooding.
This assistance aims to address their immediate food and nutritional needs during the rainy season, which is predicted to bring further climate variability according to the Department of Water Resources.
The project, titled "Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Vulnerable Women Farmers in The Gambia," has a six-month duration, running from June 2024 to March 2025. In essence, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) and 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).
At the launch event held in Pacharr, with representatives from WFP, NDMA, and NaNA highlighted the critical importance of supporting women farmers, who constitute a significant portion of the agricultural workforce in The Gambia.
They also emphasised that these women are often the first and hardest hit by climate shocks like flooding, impacting their livelihoods and household food security.
As planned, the cash transfer modality will empower beneficiaries with the flexibility to purchase essential food items based on their specific needs. This approach also supports local markets and contributes to the broader economic recovery of the affected communities.
Beyond immediate food assistance, the project incorporates crucial components aimed at long-term resilience.
Beneficiaries participate in Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) activities to promote optimal feeding and care practices, particularly for infants and young children, thereby addressing the high prevalence of malnutrition in the country.
Furthermore, recognising the importance of financial empowerment, the initiative provided financial literacy training to 500 selected women farmers. This training, facilitated by a contracted Financial Service Provider, Afrimoney, equipped them with essential skills in managing personal finances, including digital financial transactions, savings, and potentially accessing loans for agricultural inputs and equipment in the future.
Two women from each community were trained as local trainers to support their peers on the Afrimoney platform.
The project's objectives directly address the alarming food security situation in The Gambia, where a significant portion of the population faces food insecurity and vulnerability to climate shocks.
It is important to state here that without intervention, the 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis projected over 226,000 people could face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season (June-August 2024).
High food prices and loss of income, as highlighted in the 2023 National Food Security Survey, further exacerbate the vulnerability of households.
Thus, WFP will work closely with the NDMA, utilising the National Social Registry to identify the most vulnerable households. The project will also undergo rigorous monitoring and evaluation, with a strong emphasis on gender-responsive data collection to ensure the specific needs and impacts on women are accurately assessed.
This timely intervention, in addition promises to provide much-needed relief to vulnerable women farmers in the CRR South, contributing to improved food security, enhanced nutrition, and greater financial resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.
The partnership between WFP, NDMA, and NaNA underscores a commitment to collaborative efforts in addressing the multifaceted challenges of food insecurity and climate vulnerability in The Gambia.
