Experience has taught us that people caught up in crisis, conflict or disaster all have peculiar needs. So giving them food or non-food items may not quite cut it for them. So at the Nigerian Red Cross Society, we have decided to organize Cash Transfer Programming for vulnerable people as this gives them the freedom to attend to their most pressing individual priorities.
A beneficiary waits to collect her Cash at a Cash Voucher Assistance Programme
For beneficiaries to access this CTP, they must be:
The poorest of the poor (people struggling to feed)
Poorest of Widows
People living with Disabilities (PLWDAs)
Poorest-headed Household
The poorest Pregnant and lactating mothers
Aged (60 years above)
Sick household head (Bedridden)
Households with a concentration of children with less or no source of income
Artisans
IDPs and Refugees
Interestingly, the NRCS capacity for the provision of CTP has been strengthened over the years. CTP cuts across all the programmes and reduces the amount of time spent on procurement, warehousing, logistics and distribution in-kind. In ded we are proud to share our success stories on CTP over the years and should be able to reach beneficiaries within a limited time following the onset of disasters. To this effect, a constant evaluation of needs and functionality within affected areas will be periodically carried out to enhance decision-making as it affects the general public.
Restoring/Maintaining Family Links (RFL/MFL)
Due to either man-made or natural crises, conflicts or disasters, families get separated. This can be highly traumatic and devastating and robs family members of closure as they do not know if their loved ones are deceased or somewhere out there.
Indeed the Nigerian Red Cross continues to restore and maintain several broken family links across the country and beyond since the beginning of the effort in 2015.
Volunteer interacts with a beneficiary of ‘Restoring Family Links- programme
In the same vein, it will continue to ensure that the dignity of the family is maintained by ensuring that families remain together through its RFL activities either as NRCS or with the support of movement partners. In line with the needs identified, NRCS will launch both RFL/MFL activities from the planning stage where necessary.
Right now the NRCS participates in a partnership with Radio France International and the International Committee of the Red Cross. RFI created a Radio Program that seeks to reunite families with missing relatives. The programme is broadcast in the North East and links Internally Displaced Persons with their relatives.
