Muchinga residents appreciate Social Cash Transfer

——Over 8,000 people in Muchinga Province have benefited from the Social Cash Transfer from the time it commenced in December, 2013.

Provincial Social Welfare Officer, Bwalya Kasonde, disclosed the development in an interview with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chinsali today.

Mr Kasonde said the 8,502 beneficiaries are from the four districts in the province where the programme is being implemented, namely Mafinga, Shiwang’andu, Chinsali and Isoka respectively.

He said Chinsali district has a largest number of beneficiaries of 3,035, while Shiwang’andu has 1,848 with Isoka district having 1,752 and Mafinga having a total of 1,868 beneficiaries.

He said the programme is progressing well in all the districts.

Mr Kasonde said with the coming in of the Social Cash Transfer, incapacitated communities are now relieved of certain pressures, adding that their livelihood has improved.

And one of the beneficiaries from Masandiko village, Annie Mutale, thanked the government for putting in place such a programme that she said has greatly transformed the lives of the vulnerable people in communities.

Ms Mutale said the programme has improved their household income levels, adding that from the little that they are getting through the Social Cash Transfer they have even started small businesses.

She has since appealed to the government to increase on the number of beneficiaries in the province.