Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mr. Gaye TheVoice
Published on 2024-03-14 08:17:32
The World Bank recently approved a $92.71 million financing package for The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity Project (The Gambia RISE Project). This funding includes $80.45 million from the International Development Association, with $20.00 million coming from the Crisis Response Window Early Response Financing, and an additional $12.26 million in co-financing from the Global Partnership for Education.
This five-year project is aimed at improving how The Gambia builds, protects, and utilizes its human capital. The key focus areas include enhancing education quality and access, improving employment opportunities, and expanding social protection for vulnerable populations. The project aims to boost foundational learning in early childhood education through grade 4, increase access to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) aligned with labor market demands, and enhance income-generating opportunities for the poor and food-insecure.
Jason Weaver, Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the project, emphasized the dual focus on education. He stated, “The project aims to facilitate the entry of young individuals into the labor market through practical, high-quality vocational training. Concurrently, the goal is to strengthen early-grade literacy and numeracy, providing a solid foundation for subsequent learning, so today’s children have more and better opportunities in their future.”
Christabel Dadzie, Senior Social Protection Specialist and co-Task Team Leader, highlighted the evolution of social protection efforts in The Gambia. She mentioned, “The government will scale up the Nafa cash transfer program but also introduce new economic inclusion programs, while reinforcing the overall social protection system to efficiently support vulnerable populations, particularly in responding to shocks.”
The Gambia RISE Project is expected to benefit more than 272,000 individuals, including youth, children, teachers, and vulnerable households. The project takes a comprehensive approach to improving livelihoods and educational outcomes sustainably.
Feyi Boroffice, World Bank Resident Representative, stressed the significance of the project for The Gambia’s development objectives. He mentioned, “This project is critical for advancing our development objectives, in particular enhancing human capital outcomes in The Gambia. It aims to empower youth and support vulnerable communities, contributing to sustained economic growth and resilience. With activities like the social registry, the RISE interventions will emphasize the collection and utilization of data, ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed.”
Aligned with The Gambia’s Recovery-Focused National Development Plan 2023–2027 and the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework for FY22–26, the Gambia RISE Project introduces a coordinated approach to project implementation. The project leverages the newly established Central Project Coordination Unit by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.
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