LDF cash transfer to alleviate poverty

Misonzi Mwenye is a subsistence farmer who has been struggling annually to find farm inputs. However, she is now all smiles as she is one of the beneficiaries of the Local Development Fund( LDF’s) social cash transfer programme (SCTP) in January Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Chilikumwendo in Dedza District.

LDF director of Advocacy and knowledge management Charles Mandala said the SCTP seeks to ensure that people like Mwenye are economically independent and can support their families.

He said: “The programme is meant to help people develop their households by being food secure and able to send their children to schools.”

The programme is currently being implemented in two districts of Dedza and Nkhata Bay. In T/A Chilikumwendo, it targets about 8 000 people.

“The people who are receiving cash today were identified as the poor among the poorest. They are receiving different amounts according to their households,” Mandala said.

He further said the beneficiaries have been told to join Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups in their communities so that some money can be saved and be used later in their families.

Dedza Social Cash Transfer desk officer in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Given Mukisa said the programme is being implemented in eight T/As in the district.—Mana