By Memory Chatonda, MANA
In an effort to uplift the living standards of low income earners, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare has so far disbursed about K7.8 billion to benefit at least 291,650 households in Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) currently in progress.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Lucy Bandazi disclosed this on Monday in a questionnaire response to Malawi News Agency that the program seek to provide consumption support to ultra-poor and labour constrained households in all 28 districts across the country.
“Since December, 2019 to date, a total of 291,650 households representing 1,242,007 individuals have benefited from the program.
“Although the core objective is consumption support, we have also noted increased asset accumulation and improved housing among beneficiary households.
“Suffice to say that the impact evaluation conducted in 2014 noted better transition to adulthood among children in the targeted households,” she said.
Bandazi said this year; the program intends to reach out to 300,000 new households with over 1.5 million individuals by December.
“This year, the program will select new cohort of beneficiaries in 15 out of the 28 districts. The essence is that we would also like them to benefit from the program by ensuring that the ultra –poor and labour constrained households have two meals or more per day,” she said.
Bandazi however, bemoaned transportation as one of the challenges that the ministry is facing in implementation of the program.
“The Ministry does not have enough motor vehicles to run the program and also maintenance of the vehicle is a challenge,” she said.
Earlier this month, during the launch of loans for the youth and women, President Peter Mutharika said his administration would continue carrying out different economic programs including SCTP and Public Works Program to empower low income and vulnerable people
