By Philip Yatai

The World Bank-supported Kaduna State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programmes (KD-CARES) has disbursed N136.1 million grant to nine community groups and associations to undertake microprojects.

Mr Muhammmed Abdullahi, General Manager, Kaduna State Community and Social Development Agency, said at the disbursement of grant in Kaduna on Thursday, that the projects would be community driven.

Abdullahi said at the event that the grant was under Result Area 1.4 – community and group investment for basic service infrastructure of the KD-CARES programme.

He said that the objective was to expand access to livelihood support, food security and grants for poor, vulnerable households, and firms.

He added that a total of 28,730 would benefit directly from the microprojects across the state.

He said that the criteria for selecting beneficiaries was based on the need to channel resources to poor communities for human capital development and equity objectives.

According to him, the goal is to maximize impact on key development indicators – education, health, water and sanitation, and nutrition.

He said that the nine community groups and associations were the first to receive the grant under the result area amounting to N136.1 million.

He identified the community associations and groups as Kallah Community with N16.51 million and Kallah Widows and Orphans Group, N14.44 million, all in Kajuru Local Government Areas (LGA).

Others are Kurmin Gyada Community, Kachia LGA, N13.99 million, Bitaro Community, Jaba LGA, N15 million, Unguwar Zango Rido Gbagyi Community, Chikun LGA, N16.34 million, and Chinka Community, Kagarko LGA N11.29 million.

Also benefiting communities were Jaji Community, Igabi LGA, N24.63 million, Unguwar Kakaki Community, Zaria LGA, N12.46 million and Unguwar Kakaki Group, also Zaria LGA, N11.47 million.

According to him, the micro projects cut across rehabilitation and drilling of boreholes, construction, and rehabilitation of blocks of classrooms, renovation of health facilities, and skills acquisition centres.

“Other areas are disability aids, learning materials, school furniture, renovation of information and communication technology centre, environmental mitigation, landscaping and nutrition intervention.”

Presenting the cheques to the communities, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, said that the grant was part of the government efforts to alleviate poverty through community development.

Balarabe, who was represented by Mr James Kanyip, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, Office of the Deputy Governor, urged the community representative to ensure judicious use of the funds.

The KD-CARES Programme Coordinator, Mr Badamasi Musa, said that the project would be implemented directly by the community but would be closely monitored by the programme team to ensure compliance to guidelines.

Musa explained that the programme was designed by the Federal Government and supported by the World Bank, to alleviate the suffering inflicted on the poor, vulnerable and economically devastated farmers due to COVID-19.

Mr Abbas Waziri, Chairman, Unguwar Kakaki Community Project Management Committee thanked Kaduna State Government, the Federal Government, and the World Bank for the gesture.

According to him, the grant indicates government willingness to the development of the people and assured that the grant will be used for the purpose it was meant for.