Deputy Minister of Gender Community Development and Social Welfare, Halima Daudi has called upon beneficiaries of social cash transfer program (SCTP) to make good use of the funds.
Daudi made the remarks on Wednesday at Ekwaiweni in Mzimba when she interacted with (SCTP) beneficiaries from the area.
She expressed her appreciation for the positive impact the social cash transfer program has had on the lives of many beneficiaries and emphasised the need for the beneficiaries to invest the money rather than wasting it.
You should make good use of the money that you receive from social cash transfer program so that It should benefit you and others at home,” she said.
The deputy minister also announced government plans to expand the program by adding more beneficiaries in the near future.
“The number of the beneficiaries will be increased as it is the governments wish to improve livelihood of vulnerable populations through different social protection initiatives including social cash transfer program,” she said.
SCTP Advisor, Jane Mhango hailed the government for the program and highlighted tangible differences that the program has made in people’s lives in the area.
The social cash transfer program has really improved people’s livelihoods as now many people are living in good houses that they have built under this program. A lot of people are now able to buy farm inputs and some have purchased livestock, she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Chissy Kumwenda said SCTP has helped her a lot as widow who lost her husband in 1998.
She said she started receiving social cash transfers in 2015 which she used to start a business and managed to build a house and buy live stocks from the proceeds.
The Deputy minister, distributed tree seedlings to the beneficiaries and advised them to develop a culture of planting more trees every year.
