By Andrew Phiri

Balaka, November 14, Mana: Beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in Balaka District have commended Malawi Government for improving their livelihood through monthly cash transfers, which help them to meet their basic needs.

The SCTP beneficiaries expressed their gratitude on Wednesday when officials from Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare and Balaka District Council toured some of the beneficiary households to appreciate impact of the programme.

Melesiya Eliyasi, a mother of six from Ndoya Village, Traditional Authority Nsamala said she purchased 13 chickens, iron sheets to build a house such that her family has a decent accommodation after being enrolled in the SCTP which continue to provide monthly cash transfers.

She recalled that her family had poor accommodation and poor income base to keep them going before her enrollment into the SCTP in 2022.

“I am happy to own a decent house. My children and my husband are all living a purposeful life because of the money we receive through Mtukula Pakhomo,” Eliyasi added.

She therefore asked government to extend her period in the programme, expressing her commitment to improve her household livelihood more.

Another SCTP beneficiary, Jeany Eliyasi 45, from the same area also shared similar story saying apart from building a modern house, she provided her children with school necessities on top of purchasing a solar panel for convenient electricity.

 “I joined Village Savings Loan (VSL) group. I could not join this group had it not been for Mtukula Pakhomo,

“People could not accommodate me into a group, they could not trust me because l had no reliable source of income to qualify me for a member of a VSL group," she explained.

Assistant Social Welfare Officer in Balaka, Richard Kalimwayi said the SCTP was meant to uplift lives of the poorest and labour constrained household, adding that over 10,000 households in the district were enrolled in the programme.

“The SCTP has three core objectives, to reduce poverty among poorest households, to reduce malnutrition among children and to increase their enrollment in schools. We therefore encourage households to prudently use K12,000 including bonuses they receive monthly.,” he added

Kalimwayi called for complementary interventions to the SCTP, saying that collective efforts from stakeholders will sustain beneficiaries’ livelihood.

The SCTP also known as Mtukula Pakhomo is one of the programmes under the National Social Support Programmes funded by Malawi Government, World Bank and Multi Donor Trust Fund targeting ultra-poor and labour constrained rural households in the country.