By Makutu Manneh
The National Social Protection Agency on Monday launched a two-day training program for journalists, media practitioners, and communications officers, as it seeks to improve public understanding and reporting of social protection policies and programs in The Gambia.
The workshop is designed to deepen participants’ knowledge of the country’s social protection framework, strengthen the quality and sensitivity of related reporting, and encourage journalism that reflects the rights and dignity of vulnerable groups.
Opening the training, Saikou Jeng, the agency’s executive director, said The Gambia’s social protection system was undergoing a period of major reform, anchored by the National Social Protection Act 2024 and the Social Protection Regulations 2024. He said the legal and policy changes had created a more structured framework for delivering services to vulnerable populations.
“However, even the most well-designed policies and programs cannot achieve their intended impact without effective communication,” Mr. Jeng said. “This is where you, the participants, come in, in terms of advocating for the rights and welfare of vulnerable people using the media and available communication spaces.”
He urged participants to prioritize accuracy and integrity in their reporting, adopt human-centered storytelling approaches, and engage constructively with issues affecting social protection. He also pointed to the agency’s ongoing expansion of cash transfer programs for vulnerable households and its investments in community resilience initiatives aimed at reducing both immediate shocks and long-term vulnerabilities.
Participants said they expected the training to improve their reporting and professional understanding of the sector. Fatou Kassama of The Standard newspaper and Alagie Mbye, a communications officer at the National Nutrition Agency, said the sessions would help them better grasp social protection issues and strengthen their work.
Established in 2019 under the Office of the Vice President, the National Social Protection Agency coordinates national policies and programs aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability across the country.
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