Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has embarked on a cash transfer pilot project in Karonga as one way of easing financial challenges people are facing due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview after distributing cash to households totaling to 43 at Iponga in Karonga, the MRCS District Project Coordinator Blessings Mlowoka said the organisation has already identified 926 beneficiaries in the district.
He therefore said the project will soon roll out to all the districts of the country in order to benefit more vulnerable households.
“As Malawi Red Cross Society upon realizing that Covid-19 has brought in untold misery mainly to those affected or infected, we mobilized resources to assist the victims,” Mlowoka said.
In his words, Peter Msiska, one of the beneficiaries from Kasewe Village, Traditional Authority Mwakawoko thanked Red Cross and said the donation will go a long way in easing challenges his family was facing.
“Life has been very unbearable because one of the measures to mitigate the further spreading of Coronavirus is that that victims should be isolated from people so we could not manage to buy our basic needs such as food and soap, but now Red Cross has come in as good Samaritan,” he said.
The Malawi Red Cross cash transfer pilot project which is in its second month is being implemented with financial assistance from partner Red Cross Societies of Denmark and Netherlands.
At the moment, the project is running in Karonga and Mangochi districts.
As of Thursday, data collected indicated that Karonga District had recorded 74 covid-19 confirmed cases and three deaths.
Malawi has recorded 4658 Coronavirus cases, including 146 deaths and 2375 recoveries.
