PHOTO: NFAA Director General, Neileh Daitouah
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Food Assistance Agency has called on the international organizations in the food assistance sector for collective support and efforts to re-build the entity, after 19 years of dormancy.
The agency’s Director General, Neileh Daitouah said it is President George Weah’s vision for the elderly to live happily and school going children to be fed through a sustainable food assistance program.
Mr. Daitouah made the call during a one-day zoom-meeting with international organizations in the food assistance sector in Monrovia Tuesday.
“The agency has a strong mandate from the Liberian leader through the issuance of the Executive Order Number 101on April 27, 2020
According to NFAA Director General, it is the vision of President Weah to established regional food banks through purchasing of crops from farmers in order to empower them.
“We are working with the legislature to have a permanent act pass by that august body to support our work,” he said; adding : “we are convinced that we can work with all food assistance actors to develop this sector and make it to truly serve our people.”
“We are upbeat about a good future for the National Food Assistance Agency and we are convinced that we can work with all food assistance actors to develop this sector and make it to truly serve our people.”
“Due to the low support over the years,” Mr. Daitouah went on, “majority of competent staff left the entity for better opportunity; so we are building capacities of our staff.”
“We appreciate the few individuals who remained to keep supporting the agency and we will work to develop their capacities and renew their hope in a better National Food Assistance Agency.”
Commenting further, the NFAA boss maintained “we want to position the agency as an entity of choice for all of you to be willing to work with because our primary focus on restructuring the ongoing school feeding program.”
According to him, the NFAA wants to establish a food bank in strategic locations across the country and coordinate the food assistance industry in Liberia.
“We wish to propose to our partners as the first step, the entity wants to conduct rapid assessment to collect baseline data on the prevalence of food insecurity in Liberia.”
Mr,. Daitouah added that the agency will also embark on assessment survey looking at the different areas of Liberia, especially vulnerable group needing food assistance including physically challenged people, the blind, deaf and doom
“We want to reappear in all of the counties and show support to vulnerable citizens, students and senior compatriots.”
“We want to open regional processing and storage facilities in different regions in the country so we crave on your collective support.”
In welcome remarks, the agency’s Deputy Director for Administration, Ballah Hubbard, commended the international organizations on behalf of the Liberian leader for the work they are doing in the food assistance industry in Liberia.
According to him , this gesture has helped to keep old folks alive and happy, as well as helped the children remain in schools across the country
“We all agreed that it is important to build a relationship so that we work together in getting the job done and better because we at the NFAA want complement your efforts.”
“We also assured you that this important assistance on the part of your organizations is well coordinated by the government through the NFAA as we can jointly identify challenges, progress and gaps.”
During the meeting, several organizations expressed their willingness to work with the NFAA in making sure that food assistance reach the targeted people in Liberia.
The zoom meeting was attended by representatives of eleven international organizations including Action Against Hunger, Concern World Wild, BRAC, ZOA among others.
The NFAA history dated back to the 1970s and it was vibrant and leading food distribution throughout the country.