Attachments
In Numbers
144,951 people assisted in June and July 2024
US$ 1,303,585 cash-based transfers made from March to July 2024
US$ 7.1 million six-month (August 2024-January 2025) net funding requirements
Operational Updates
- WFP continues to support 421 schools across the country’s four most vulnerable regions, including the Upper River, Central River North and South, and North Bank Regions through its Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme. This initiative provides daily meals to a total of 144,951 children, including 67,866 boys and 77,085 girls throughout the academic year. More than US$ 1.3 million was provided to schools from March to July 2024 through cash-based transfers (CBT), supporting the procurement of locally produced commodities. During this time, WFP assisted the Government in its ambitions to promote HGSF in the East and West Regions of the West Coast as well as Lower River Regions. HGSF will resume in September 2024 once the new school year begins.
- The introduction of new procedures for school food solicitation and finance management by WFP has enabled gradual steps to improve local procurement. It will further enhance accountability, transparency, and protection for both beneficiaries and donors.
- The pilot phase of the WFP online data monitoring tool School Connect, recently launched to enhance monitoring of the HGSF programme in The Gambia, ended in July. It involved 50 schools in the North Bank, Central River North and South, and Upper River Regions. A detailed report on the successes and challenges of the roll-out is currently being prepared and will soon be released to guide a potential scale-up of the tool in September 2024.
- A Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) Exercise, aimed at analysing the HGSF programme, identifying strengths and gaps, fostering dialogue, and improving planning, is currently being prepared to commence in August 2024. WFP will soon conduct interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders across the board.
- WFP welcomed Mr. Isaac Mensah from the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Charity in July 2024. He was accompanied to a HGSF beneficiary school to observe meal distribution firsthand and personally speak with children, parents, and teachers about the benefits of the programme. He positively recognized WFP’s work. WFP is looking forward to further funding opportunities from LDS.