A Non-Governmental Organisation, SOS Children Villages, on Friday supported 290 households with conditional cash transfers of N200,000 and unconditional cash transfers of N60,000 to flood affected families in Etsako East and Central Local Government Areas of Edo.
The deputy national director, SOS Children’s Villages, Ayodeji Adelopo while presenting the cheques to the flood affected families said the cash transfers is to help support them to recover from the devasting effect of the incident.
“As part of efforts to support children and families affected by flood in Edo State, we have planned a project to support household (families) with both conditional and unconditional cash transfers to enable them meet up with their shelters, food and WASH need due to the impact of flood disaster in the community.
“In Edo State, the project is supporting 229 households with conditional cash transfers of N200,000 each while 61 households will be supported with unconditional cash transfer of N60,000 each.
“The household families in Udaba, Osomegbe and Anegbette communities in Etsako Central while Egwori and Ighaewo in Etsako East council area are to benefit from the cash-based intervention support to cater for their shelter, food and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) needs.
“While we believe that more of such initiatives needs to be embarked on by other well-meaning organisations and individuals, we need to begin looking at initiatives that will help in preventing these recurring floods in the first instance.
“By implication, preventing pressures on families, their health, and their sources of livelihood,” Adelopo said.
Adelopo said that empirical studies had shown the impacts of flooding to be negative and a significant impediment to community development, adding that the impact had resulted to multiple poverty levels, regresses education for children and young people in the community.
According to him, the rural communities lack the material resources as well as the access to social safety nets that could build resilience and better prepare them for such shocks.
“We are collaborating with our partners to provide succour for this vulnerable families who have suffered a loss of livelihood.
“The intervention aims to enable the participants to provide basic needs and begin the journey of attaining a sustainable living home,” he said.
The deputy national director of the organisation commended the federal and state government agencies on the early warning signs of heavy rainfall this year and urged the people to prepare accordingly.
The Edo Commissioner for Youth and Humanitarian Affairs, Andrew Enwanta, and Director of Social Development of Etsako East local government, Sedenu Mohammed, thanked the organisation for providing succor for the flood affected families.
They, however, promised the organisation to monitor household families in ensuring the money is used judiciously for its purposes.
A beneficiary, Mary Innih thanked the organisation for the kind gesture.
Innih said the money would be use for her business and to cater for her children.
”I want to say a big thank you to SOS Children village for the money.
“The money came as a surprise to me and I promise to use the money to start a small business and cater for my children,” Innih said.
