Lilongwe communities laud social cash transfers

Social Cash Transfer Programme beneficiaries in Traditional Authority Khongoni (T/A) in Lilongwe District have commended the social safety net initiative for transforming their livelihoods.

One of the beneficiaries, Lutiya Dawe, a mother of three from Msaleka Cluster in T/A Khongoni in the district, said she struggled to provide for her family after her husband allegedly ran away from her because she was taking care of her late sister’s five children.

She said that her circumstances, however, began to change after she was enrolled in the Social Cash Transfer Programme and started receiving regular financial support.

Dawe stands beside her cattle kraal.

| Andrew Mkonda

“Instead of using the money for immediate household consumption, I invested part of it in activities aimed at improving my family’s livelihood,” said Dawe.

She said she saved some of the money through village savings and loans groups under the Community Savings and Investment Promotion (Comsip) Cooperative Limited initiative.

Lilongwe District Council principal social welfare officer Sarah Chimodzi said Dawe’s experience demonstrates how social protection interventions, when combined with prudent financial management and livelihood investments, can help vulnerable households build

assets, diversify their sources of income and work towards self-reliance.

She expressed excitement to note that many beneficiaries acquired livestock and built resilient houses.

“The programme has also reduced risks such as withdrawal of children from school due to poverty,” said Chimodzi.

Malawi Government with support from the World Bank is implementing the initiative in the district, targeting ultra-poor and labour-constrained households.

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