Her Excellency (HE), the Vice President Dr Isatou Touray, on Monday, 21st February 2022 received the outgoing World Bank (WB), Senior Social Protection Specialist and Task Team Leader, Ms. Penny Williams and her successor Christabel Dadzie, Senior Social Protection Specialist and Task Team Leader.
The VP received the WB officials at her office in the State House on Monday. Feyi Boroffice and Rebekka Grun, other WB specialists, accompanied the officials.
HE Dr Isatou Touray thanked the WB team for putting the Gambian agenda as their priority and supporting the creation and optimal capacity building of the National Social Protection Secretariat (NSPS).
She also expressed her appreciation of the efforts by WB in helping to alleviate poverty across the various districts of The Gambia; and urged it to keep supporting the country’s poor folks through the NAFA Programme being implemented by National Nutritional Agency (NaNA) and partners.
For her part, Penny Williams, the outgoing Country Director of WB thanked the Gambia Government for promoting the rights of vulnerable people and reducing extreme poverty. Williams hopes to include 17 more districts in NPSP’s programme in 2022.
NAFA Programme is the US$31 million Safety Net programme supported by the World Bank with a Gambia Government counterpart contribution of US $1million.
At least 83,000 households in 30 districts benefited from the “Nafa Quick” Covid-19 relief support.
The “NAFA QUICK CASH TRANSFER” Project is aimed at building households resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic for the vulnerable population.
Currently, the NAFA programme has been piloted in three districts, it will be expanded to further 17 making it 20.
The Director of SBCC Department at NaNA, Abdul Aziz Ceesay said the 20 districts would include: Foni Bintang, Foni Bondali, Foni Kansala, Foni Jarrol, Foni Brefet in West Coast Region (WCR); Nianija, Upper Saloum, Lower Saloum, Lower Fuladu West in Central River Region (CRR); Sandu, Kantora, Wuli West, Wuli East in Upper River Region (URR); Kiang Central, Kiang East, Kiang West in Lower River Region (LRR) and Sabackh Sanjal in North Bank Region (NBR).
By Sarjo M. Camara, OVP