By Abednego Sibale

Nkhata Bay, April 19, Mana: Principal Social Welfare Officer responsible for Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) in Nkhata Bay, Wisdom Mwafulirwa, has disclosed that approximately K3.8 billion has been disbursed to SCTP beneficiaries in the district over the past three years.

Mwafulirwa was speaking recently when he updated members of Nkhata Bay District Social Support Coordinating (DSSC) on the program's progress.

According to Mwafulirwa, the support has transformed beneficiaries' lives as most of them invested their stipends in different forms.

"We have so far disbursed K3.8 billion to 6,476 beneficiaries from April 2022 to March 2025.

“Out of this number, 4,848 have joined village savings and loans groups, accumulated shares and most of them have embarked on small-scale businesses,” said Mwafulirwa.

He said such investments will contribute to sustainability of the program’s impact on the beneficiaries’ livelihoods as they are about to graduate from the program.

Mwafulirwa assured stakeholders across the district that the Council will continue providing regular, adequate, and timely cash transfers to promote beneficiaries' livelihoods and contribute to human capital development.

Nkhata Bay District Council Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Emmanuel Kanjawala, said the program is on track, with notable improvements in beneficiaries' lives.

"The program has improved housing conditions, with most beneficiaries living in iron sheets thatched houses, increased school enrolment, business skills of beneficiaries and contributed to decrease in charcoal and wood fuel usage due to diverse business ventures by beneficiaries, among others," said Kanjawala.

Despite household diet diversity remaining a challenge, Kanjawala believes beneficiaries are ready to graduate from the program.

Nkhata Bay District Council Public Relations Officer, Chisomo Kambandanga, said the district will continue engaging communities on the introduction of E-payment model to beneficiaries of the program.

"This model aims to enhance the program's efficiency and effectiveness in reaching its beneficiaries," he said.

SCTP is one of the components of Social Support for Resilience Livelihoods Programme (SSRLP) implemented across the country through National Local Government Finance Committee with financial support from World Bank and Multi-Donor Trust Fund.