By Hajaratu Kalokoh
The National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) has announced plans to expand its activities across all sixteen districts in the country. The expansion will be supported by a $30 million fund from the World Bank, which was provided to the commission some six months ago.
Chairman of NaCSA, Abu Bockarie Kokofele, said in a press briefing on Thursday that their work before now just covered 10 districts, and that the new financing will help them expand their programs like the social safety net.
“With increased funding that we have with the World Bank, a total amount of 30 million new financing for 2020-2023, we hope to be able to reach to all sixteen districts in the country. Over the years we have covered up to 10 districts only, but now with additional financing we are able, through the Social Safety Net support scheme, to reach out to all districts,” he said.
NaCSA said part of the fund will be used to provide skills training for 20,000 people living with disability. They will be trained in various technical and vocational fields.
However, the commission did not explain the timeline of the project.
Kokofele said: “we will be engaging persons living with disability; we will start with 20,000 beneficiaries and with the progress of time we hope to expand that, to reach out to all persons living with disability.”
NaCSA is a semi-autonomous government agency which enhances the work of social sector Ministries and Agencies and local authorities in delivering social services to deprived and remote communities across the country.
NaCSA started in 1996 as a Government Ministry known as the Ministry of National Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (MNRRR) with a broad mandate to respond to the immediate humanitarian crisis that emanated from the civil war and to handle the demilitarization, and reintegration of ex-combatants. In November 2001, it was restructured and renamed the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) through an Act of parliament.
Last week Parliament passed the New National Commission for Social Action Act 2019 in to law, which now established the commission as a permanent government agency.
Its oversight responsibility has also been shifted to the office of the Vice President.
“There is a huge potential that this status will attract an increased donor attention, therefore increased funding. I had discussion with the Vice President yesterday, he told me that we should be celebrating because this new status will even attract government budgetary allocation for NaSCA to reach out to more community,” said Kokofele.
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