The Government’s commitment to social protection is to ensure that “NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND”.

Also, through the NAFA Cash Transfer Programme, under the Central Project Coordination Unit at the Ministry Of Finance and Economic Affairs Gambia, respectively coordinated and implemented by the NSPA and the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), over 30,000 extremely poor households have benefited from monthly cash transfers valued at millions of dollars.

Additional vulnerable Gambians also benefit from various government cash transfer initiatives, including lean season support administered by the National Disaster Management Agency.

Several people have contacted me with questions regarding the distribution of these interventions across the country and among different vulnerable groups. Others have asked about how beneficiaries are identified and why information on these programmes is not more widely published.

I may not be able provide every statistic over a telephone call or WhatsApp message; however, we welcome anyone to write to the NSPA (through their institution, if they are representing one), and we will supply the relevant and available information at a convenient time.

With regard to beneficiary targeting, this is conducted through a highly transparent process using the Gambia Social Registry (GamSR). The GamSR is a register of demographic and socioeconomic data for all households in The Gambia, which classifies them according to various poverty levels while also noting the presence of specific vulnerabilities within those households. Beneficiaries are therefore selected by implementers based on the criteria established for the allocation of the cash transfer.

Concerning the publicisation of these programmes, I must acknowledge that a considerable amount of information has been disseminated over the years. Both media programmes and community engagement activities have been employed to share information, alongside Social and Behavioural Change Communication aimed at increasing programme awareness, particularly in relation to the NAFA.

The unfortunate reality regarding information sharing in The Gambia, and this is my personal opinion, is that people tend to focus excessively on negative and distracting publicity, to the extent that “good news is no longer news”. All we seem to wish to hear and follow is “kaa”, criticism, and negative publicity. You call follow the information handles of the relevant institutions for updates.

That said, in addition to the efficient targeting process and communication efforts, I should also mention that the NSPA houses what is known as the National Grievance Redress Mechanism. This mechanism operates a toll-free number (1229), which beneficiaries, programme participants, and any concerned persons can call to provide feedback, raise a concern, report a grievance, or seek clarification regarding any social support programme of the Government and its partners.

We also have community level grievance handling committees at programme or project areas, trained by us to receive community-level grievance and report to the nain office.

We receive your call or complains, listen, record, consult (where applicable), and provide appropriate feedback on any matters you raise. Where necessary, we facilitate consultative discussions between parties, all geared towards ensuring that the dignity and welfare of vulnerable persons are respected and prioritised.