By Andrew Mkonda
Lilongwe, June 20h, Mana: Like in many districts across Malawi, Lilongwe was among the districts where the number of households in extreme poverty remained high before the rolling out of the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP).
Many households in the district could not afford two meals per day, and this led to escalation of malnutrition among under-five children and pregnant women.
This sad development also affected the school enrolment in the district, as many of the leaners – especially girls – dropped out of school due to lack of necessary school support such as school fees, which led to many girls dropping out of school due to early pregnancies and marriages.
But since the SCTP rolled out in 2018, it has lived to its purpose of uplifting the livelihoods of people failing to meet their simplest basic needs; and stories of many households in Lilongwe have dramatically changed tone.
“Poverty reduced us to a laughing stalk after we lost our parents. Being a first born in the family, it was hard to take care of my three siblings. But when I was registered in SCTP we have seen our lives dramatically changing,” explains 32-year-old Chifundo Fanizo of Lilongwe.
Fanizo hails in the outskirts of Mpingu Village, Group Village Head Mpingu, in the area of Senior Chief Malili in Lilongwe district.
The young man found himself heading a household of four siblings, including himself, after losing their parents about a decade ago.
But the household’s struggle eased after Fanizo got registered to participate in the SCTP in 2018, and now the livelihood of the household of siblings is remarkably transformed.
Chifundo used the support from SCTP to venture into dimba farming, growing wide range of vegetables, which is not only providing him with food for the household, but, also, generating more cash amounting up to K140, 000 per week from the vegetables.
For the majority of Malawians classified as poor, overcoming poverty is defined beyond cash in one’s pockets, bank accounts, or village savings and loan (VSL) groups.
Chifundo has managed to overcome his household’s poverty in several ways: he bought land and constructed a better, and more comfortable house for himself and his three siblings, and he is also able to pay school fees for the siblings,
“I have, also, acquired a number of assets and livestock such as pigs and chickens following the decision that I made to channel every cash I get from the Social Cash Transfer Programme to farming,”. explains Fanizo.
The impact of the SCTP in the area where Fanizo lives is hard to ignore, leaving many, including Village headman Mpingu, applauding government for lifting the poor households nationwide up to live with dignity and hope.
“I have a number of beneficiaries in my area, but when you visit their homes, one is convinced that the programme is really transforming the livelihoods,” he said.
Mpingu further applauds Fanizo’s other decision of joining Community Savings and Investment Promotion (Comsip) group where members buy shares, get annual dividends and access business tips.
“Let me take this opportunity to appeal to the government to continue with this programme and, if possible, to increase the number of participants so that many households benefit from it, as it has proven to be a tool for poverty reduction.
Principal Social Welfare Officer for Lilongwe District Council, Sarah Chimodzi, said the SCTP is more than just a financial aid as, according to her, it extends to restoring dignity, and creating sustainable livelihoods.
Chimodzi says Chifundo’s story is a proof for the tremendous impact the Social Cash Transfer Programme has done.
“When beneficiaries receive Social Cash Transfers, we strongly encourage them to invest in small-scale businesses, and to purchase food for their families as our goal is to ensure that no household goes to bed hungry," explained Chimodzi.
She added that the program has also played a significant role in mitigating various risks, such as reducing school dropout rates and absenteeism among school going children.
Chimodzi encouraged participants to join COMSIP groups, where they can save and grow their finances through investments, while gaining essential farming and business knowledge.
“This initiative will enable them to purchase agricultural inputs, increase their harvests, start businesses, and acquire livestock such as goats, pigs, and chickens,” she said.
The Social Welfare Officer further described Fanizo as a prime example of the program’s impact, highlighting how the Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) is effectively transforming the lives of ultra-poor Malawians.
With government’s plan to retarget 40 thousand beneficiaries by end of June this year, the SCTP is set to touch even more lives across Lilongwe district.
For Fanizo and his family of siblings, SCTP has been nothing short of life changing from misfortunes to hope, and the Programme continues to empower communities, and build resilient future, one family at a time.
The program in Lilongwe district, is being administered by the Malawi Government, with assistance from the World Bank. It aims to support ultra-poor and labor-constrained households by offering financial aid in the form of cash.
The program encompasses 23 Traditional Leaders, and it serves a total of 29,512 participants. SCTP is part of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Programme (SSRLP) supported by the World Bank and the Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
