By Hajaratu Kalokoh
Two years after the 2017 mudslide and flood disaster, 129 women have received Le1million direct cash support from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women. The money is meant to support the women to do business and improve their economic condition.
The 2017 mudslide left hundreds of people dead and many more in extreme poverty. Most of them are women and children. The cash transfer comes at a time when the country is going through stiff economic situation.
The beneficiaries were drawn from Regent and Kamayama communities who were heavily affected by the disaster.
A community elder at Regent, Bridget Aloma Saidu, spoke on behalf of the recipients of the support.
“It is worth noting that there were lots of philanthropists who helped the victims, but after the 40th day ceremony there have been one,” she said.
“We are grateful to organizations like UN Women who came back and checked on the victims, especially on women who lost their husbands,” she added.
Beneficiaries of the grants were also engaged in a day-long workshop designed to help build their knowledge on livelihood, business skills and coping strategies during emergencies. Officials said the knowledge acquired is expected to help them in their engagement in income generating activities to sustain their livelihoods.
Many of the beneficiaries were already involved in retail trading.
Program Specialist at UN Women, David Lahai, spoke on the importance of keeping track on these women. He said the organization thought that they shouldn’t only stop at providing food support for the victims, but that they should check on them especially at this particular time when it’s rainy season.
“Some might be going through struggles, and that is why we are providing income so they could engage in businesses,” he said.
Mariatu Sesay, a resident of Kamayama, who was badly affected by the flooding, presently makes a living selling drinks and yogurt. She explained to Politico how much this grant meant to her. She has been buying milk by cup and drinks by crate.
“This grant will enable me to develop my business by buying wholesale,” she said.
Also present at the presentation ceremony in the Regent community was Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs, Mohamed Haji Kella. He praised the gesture and emphasized on the importance of the coping skills training the women were introduced to.
Kella assured that the project would be monitored and that they would make sure that the training becomes a continuous process.
“We are working with this particular group; you will share the knowledge acquired to your various local groups and we will check if these groups have made progress,” he said.
© 2019 Politico Online
