Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) beneficiaries in Rumphi have praised the initiative, describing it as their way out of poverty.
One of the beneficiaries, Fyness Kayira, 85, from Nthumbatumba Village in Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe, said she could not imagine how she would have survived without the programme.
“I lost my husband over 10 years ago. I have also lost all my children who were supporting me. My grandchildren who are now taking care of me are also poor,” she said. “I use the money I receive to buy my basic needs such as food, and soap. This programme is my lifeline,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Lucy Nyasulu, 31, from Madumura Village also in Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe, said a few years ago, before she became a beneficiary, she and her husband could barely afford to feed their three children.
Abel Ndlovu, the SCTP Desk Officer for Rumphi, noted that many of the programme’s 3,400 beneficiaries in the district have used the funds to build decent homes while others have invested in livestock farming.
By Manasse Nyirenda, MANA
