By Alpha Abu
Some nine thousand seven hundred and sixty-three households in four districts have so far benefitted from the cash donation by National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) aimed at cushioning the economic challenges brought about by the covid-19 pandemic.
Homes in Western Rural and Urban and the districts of Kono, Kenema and Kailahun each received the sum of 1, 309, 000 (one million three hundred and nine thousand Leones).
According to NaCSA’s IEC Project Officer, Umaru Samai, only a few households that were not readily available at the time of the cash distribution are yet to get theirs.
He told Politico that plans were being made for an extension of the exercise to the rest of the other districts in the country. The cash project dubbed “Ep Fet Po” will also see each targeted household get further assistance with three more tranches of 436,000 (four hundred and thirty–six thousand Leones) each, to be released quarterly.
Homes with disabled persons will have an extra one tranche payment. Payments in tranches are yet to commence and NaCSA has warned that some households that are yet to complete their data will not benefit from that next round of support.
Samai also disclosed that another cash package called the Emergency Relief for petty traders and workers in the hospitality industry is also expected to start by March. This package is for only those living in the Western Area and each registered person is to receive 1,309.000 one million three hundred and nine thousand Leones.
Accordingly, 36,000 people have been earmarked for this special one-off cash payment.
The NaCSA initiative was precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic that has disrupted the livelihoods of millions of Sierra Leoneans. Since the first case was recorded in Sierra Leone on the 31st March 2020, the government introduced a series of measures including lockdowns that restricted the movements of vehicles and people to stop the spread of the virus.
Many businesses have since scaled down their operations or shut down completely. A greater percentage of people also engaged in the informal sector as a source of livelihood, have also been adversely affected by the economic drawbacks of the pandemic.
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