Social cash transfer gives the elderly hope

The elderly in Traditional Authority Mwirang’ombe in Karonga District have commended the Social Cash Transfer Programme for helping them graduate from abject poverty.

In an interview on Monday, Ebelo Nyandolo said she used to struggle to feed her family and get other basic necessities.

She said lack of income sources made her life miserable and she lost hope of living a decent life.

“However, in 2028, my name was registered under the programme. When I received my stipend for several months, I saved it in a village savings and loans group.

“After receiving the dividends, I started a small-scale business.”

Nyandolo said she bought five goats and ventured into livestock farming to diversify her income sources.

“In 2023, I constructed a decent house and I am able to support my five grandchildren in school,” she said.

Another beneficiary, William Sichali, from Muyereka Village said he used to stay in a grass-thatched hut but has now constructed a decent house.

“I was enrolled into the programme six years ago. I also invested the stipend in village savings and loans groups to grow it. I am now out of poverty as I accumulated assets such as livestock,” he said.

Karonga district principal social welfare officer Tiwonge Mbale said the council plans to register about 8 000 households to benefit from the programme.

He said the district has about 7 500 households which have been participating in the programme for the past six years.

“These beneficiaries will graduate from programme; hence, registering new households,” said Mbale.

He said the programme has enabled underprivileged households to acquire livestock, construct decent houses and buy farm inputs.

Meanwhile, government has raised the stipend from K12 000 to K20 000.

In Karonga, the programme is supported by the World Bank.