By George Mponda

Karonga, August 20, Mana: Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) and Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) benefeciaries in Karonga have hailed government for disbursing MK150,000 once off payments to each household in a scalable mechanism funded by the World Bank.

During a media tour on Tuesday, most beneficiaries said they will now be food secure and self-resilient after at least 12,700 ultra-poor households under SCTP and CS-EPWP in Karonga received the once-off payments in their Mpamba wallets covering the months of June, July and August.

In her remarks, Rosaline Mbira, SCTP beneficiary from Group Village Head Mwanyesha attributed the programme to the transfomation in her family's life.

“In the past, I struggled to pay school fees and sometimes went to bed hungry, which affected my health. Since I was enrolled in the 'Mtukura Pakhomo', I’ve managed to build a house and send my children to school. I am grateful to the Malawi government for this life changing intervention,” Mbira said.

Another beneficiary, Mary Chilambo from Group Village Head Mwakhwawa, Traditional Authority Wansambo, highlighted how the program has helped households affected by disasters.

“Most families in our area were affected by flooding and dry spells which led to low yields. We are thankful to government for giving us MK150, 000 which will go a long away in ensuring that families from the area of Senior Chief Wansambo are well fed," Chilambo added.

Principal Social Welfare Officer for Karonga District Council, Tiwonge Mbale said the transfers are aimed at cushioning beneficiaries from climatic shocks by enabling them to be financially secure and fend for themselves.

Mbale said; “7,481 households under SCTP and 5,219 households under CS-EPWP have received the funds in Karonga.”

"The interventions are part of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods project being implemented by the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) with funding from the World Bank," Mbale said.

Mbale further advised the beneficiaries to use the money they have received for its intended purposes.