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SOMALIA / VOUCHERS
STORY: SOMALIA / VOUCHERS
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: WFP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SOMALI / NATS
DATELINE: MARCH-APRIL 2012, BURAO, SOMALILAND
1. Various shots, beneficiaries collecting vouchers in Burao
2. Various shots, children being screened at Targeted Supplementary Feeding (TSFP) centre in Buaro
3. Various shots, distribution of Plumpy’Sup to mother of malnourished child
4. Various shots, shop in Burao where vouchers can be redeemed, beneficiaries receiving the food
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Regis Chapman, Head of Programme, WFP Somalia:
“In a context like this where it’s an urban setting the markets are functioning, there are supplies available locally, the use of a voucher allows beneficiaries to come to a local shop, purchase the commodities, the food types that he or she would normally purchase and therefore gives them greater options. The other advantages of such a programme, it allows us to inject our resources, our funds, directly into local markets and it also reduces the amount of time that it would take for WFP to procure, transport and eventually to distribute the food.”
6. Various shots, meat traders selling at TSFP centre
7. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Fardowsa Ismail Elmis, beneficiary:
“Before we use to receive ration yes, but we didn’t have a choice, the voucher programme has given me the opportunity to buy food of my choice. I buy what I don’t have in my house.”
8. Various shots, traders in village of Beer (pronounced Bear like the animal)
9. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mustafa Mohamed Omar, Alla Magan Trading Company:
“Yes, the programme is good. I use to sell goods but the demand was not that high, but this time round the programme has given me the opportunity to sell more goods hence making more profit. The programme is really good.”
10. Various shots, camels just outside village of Beer
11. Various shots, women receiving vouchers in Beer
The World Food Programme has recently introduced the use of vouchers into its programming in Burao Somaliland reaching around 18,000 people.
The vouchers are being provided instead of food to the families of malnourished children.
Through WFP’s Supplementary Feeding Programme, children below the age of five are screened and if identified as malnourished, are provided with Plumpy’Sup, a fortified peanut based food to restore them to health.
As children suffering from malnutrition are likely to come from homes that struggle to meet their daily food needs, mothers can register to receive the vouchers that are given to exchange for food for a family ration.
SOUNDBITE (English) Regis Chapman, Head of Programme, WFP Somalia:
“In a context like this where it’s an urban setting the markets are functioning, there are supplies available locally, the use of a voucher allows beneficiaries to come to a local shop, purchase the commodities, the food types that he or she would normally purchase and therefore gives them greater options. The other advantages of such a programme, it allows us to inject our resources, our funds, directly into local markets and it also reduces the amount of time that it would take for WFP to procure, transport and eventually to distribute the food.”
It normally takes WFP between four and six months from the time of a donation to convert that into food at a distribution. Using vouchers cuts down that time.
WFP is providing multiple vouchers, to the value of US $80 a month. These can be spent at a number of shops and with traders who are contracted by WFP who have a guaranteed supply of commodities such as rice, wheat flour and oil.
In studies throughout the country, a link has been found between food insecurity in the household and the lack of meat and milk in the diets. This is especially the case during the lean seasons, of which there are two each year. So WFP has contracted some meat traders to provide fresh meat and with the multiple vouchers this can be bought a number of times throughout the month.
SOUNDBITE (English) Fardowsa Ismail Elmis, beneficiary:
“Before we use to receive ration yes, but we didn’t have a choice, the voucher programme has given me the opportunity to buy food of my choice. I buy what I don’t have in my house.”
In rural areas where there are no shops, access to goods means paying for transport to bring them home. But WFP has been working with traders to ensure that they will truck food to the villages so that people can spend their vouchers, ensuring also that traders keep in line with current market prices.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mustafa Mohamed Omar, Alla Magan Trading Company:
“Yes, the programme is good. I use to sell goods but the demand was not that high, but this time round the programme has given me the opportunity to sell more goods hence making more profit. The programme is really good.”
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