By Andrew Mkonda & Rennie Tembo

Lilongwe, March 2, Mana: World Bank Senior Social Protection Specialist and Co-Task Team Leader, Ivan Drabek, has expressed satisfaction with different interventions that beneficiaries under Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) are undertaking to protect their catchment areas from different catastrophes.

Drabek made the remarks Friday during a field tour at Mgongonda Micro Catchment Area in Nathenje, Lilongwe.

The tour was aimed at appreciating progress of the project implementation under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).

He said it is interesting and encouraging to see that beneficiaries and traditional leaders have taken ownership of the project.

“It is impressive to see interventions beneficiaries are doing in their catchment areas. Listening to them explaining knowledge and skills gained from field assistants and teaching others who are not part of this project is amazing,” he said.

Brabek assured beneficiaries that the Bank will do all it can to reach the targeted number of beneficiaries and increase their wages due to impact of the recent devaluation.

National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Project Coordinator, Paul Chipeta, assured beneficiaries of receiving their wages on time saying all the challenges that were causing the delay have been sorted out.

One of the beneficiaries, Potiphar Alufeyo, thanked World Bank and all stakeholders for the initiative saying apart from conserving the environment, the project has also assisted in improving their livelihoods.

“I used to harvest little due to climate change but with the knowledge and skills gained from this project such as pit planting basins, manure making and gully reclamation, I am optimistic that this year I will have bumper yields,” he said.

He asked World Bank to continue with the project so that as many people as possible benefit from the project.

SSRLP is a US$516 million project funded by the World Bank and the Multi Donor Trust Fund partners (USAID UK-FCDO, EU, Ireland, Iceland and Norway).

The project’s components are the CS-EPWP, Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Livelihoods Support and is being implement in all the 28 districts across the country.