Households enrolled in the Social Cash Transfer Programme in Kasungu say the initiative is enabling them to break the cycle of poverty and improve their livelihoods.
One of the beneficiaries, 29-year-old Victor Manda, a head of a four-member household from Jakapu Village in Traditional Authority Chisikwa, said this during a monitoring tour aimed at appreciating the programme’s impact on targeted households in the district.
He said: “I was enrolled during the retargeting of new beneficiaries, and my first cash transfer was K91,000. I used the money to buy a bag of Suphet fertilizer, which I applied to my Irish potato garden. After harvesting, I made over K500,000 — it was my first time handling such an amount.
With the profit, I bought two bags of fertilizer and maize seed for this farming season. I also invested part of the money in irrigated cabbage farming, from which I expect to make over K2 million after selling the produce. My life has transformed because of the programme. Previously, I depended on piecework to find food, but now I am able to provide for my family and keep my child in school.”
Another beneficiary, 40-year-old mother of five, Easter Zimba, from Ndeule Village, said she has managed to construct an iron-sheet-roofed house using profits from her small-scale business selling zitenje and tomatoes — a business she started with support from the programme.
“When I receive the money, I save it with a savings and loans group, where I also borrow money to support my business,” she added.
Kasungu District now has 19,409 beneficiary households, up from 17,176 before the 2024 retargeting exercise.
The district’s Principal Social Welfare Officer, Given Mukusi, expressed satisfaction with the impact of the programme, which aims to reduce poverty, address malnutrition, and increase school enrollment among children from beneficiary households.
“We encourage beneficiaries to join COMSIP savings and loans groups so they can save and grow their income. We also encourage women to be recipients because they are more likely to use the money responsibly and prioritize household needs,” Mukusi added.
The Social Cash Transfer Programme is a component of the World Bank– and Multi-Donor Trust Fund–supported Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Programme (SSRLP), which is being implemented by the Government of Malawi.
By Topson Banda
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