The Regional Director of World Food Program for West and Central Africa, Chris Nikoi, on Thursday 21st October 2021 paid a working visit to the North West Regional headquarter, Bamenda.
Accompanied by WFP’s Representative and Country Director, Wanja Kaaria, his coming to Bamenda was comprised of a courtesy visit to the Governor of the North West Region, Governor Adolphe Lele Afrique, a visit to the WFP’s distribution sites, a meeting with WFP food assistance beneficiaries in Bayelle and Ntambessi and to the WFP Warehouse in Bamenda.
The Regional Director for West and Central Africa says it is his first time visiting this part of the country and the WFP is in the region to assist people who no longer have a source of livelihood as a result of the crisis.
“I am very pleased to be in the North West, first time of visiting this part of the country and indeed as a result of the conflict that has been going on which has led to displacements. Of course, I believe and we know that peoples livelihoods have been affected because they no longer can farm and do the normal things they do to acquire income to feed themselves, they need support and that’s why we at the WFP in collaboration and in support of the people are here to assist the people whose lives have been affected and have become ford insecure”, he said.
Following was the meeting with WFP beneficiaries of WFPs assistance who shared their stories and how the food assistance from the World Food Program has helped them.
Tatah Colette is one of the many people who expressed gratitude for the help WFP has rendered them. She is a single mother from Kumbo in the Bui division of the North West region says this assistance has helped her.
“When I left Kumbo and came here I registered and my name came out. This assistance has helped me start up a petty business that helps me take care of my children and me”.
Chiafike Francis, a native of Kom now based in Bamenda is another beneficiary.
“We ran away from Kom to Bamenda when my wife was pregnant while putting to birth she passed away and I had an accident after that and have not been working until he registered and started receiving 25000 FRS CFA which he has been using to take care of his five children and himself. So this money has helped me to pay my hospital bills and he still needs more help as his children are not going to school”.
The President of the Feedback and Complain Mechanism Committee, Rev Kekuntang Simon was met at the distribution site at Ntambessi. He expressed gratitude to the organization.
“We want to thank the WFP for coming to the assistance of the grassroots population especially those of them who are downtrodden and those who have been displaced, what the WFP is doing is sustaining lives…”.
At the end of the visit, WFP’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa was impressed and happy about WFP's response to the needs of the people.
“I am super pleased that I came. I am very impressed with the WFP response to the needs on the ground, I am also very pleased with the collaboration and support that we are getting from the stakeholders, the government, I am super happy and proud of our partners for listening to all of them today I felt that we have competent, hardworking, committed partners. Above all, I was very touched by the stories of the beneficiaries and they are very sad experiences…clearly, I am leaving here proud of what we are doing to sustain people’s lives, to help keep peoples children in school and I can only say I wish that some of our donors were on this trip to hear some of this moving testimonies. But I hope that as I talk about it I am relaying to our donors the absolute need for them to continue to support the crisis”.
The WFP is assisting approximately 280,000 people in all seven divisions in the North West region, and particularly in Mezam, the WFP is assisting 45000 persons. In choosing beneficiaries, the WFP has a set of more than 20 questions and it looks at persons that have been affected most by the crisis taking into consideration pregnant, persons living with disabilities, and the number of persons living within a household.
By Tantan Patience
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