Burdened by different responsibilities among them taking care of grandchildren, the elderly in Kasungu have found solace in governments social protection programme, Social Cash Transfer (SCT) popularly known as Mtukula Pakhomo.
Ekisilida Mwase, 74, of Lodjwa in Sub Traditional Authority Chisikwa in Kasungu is taking care of a family of eight together with her old aged husband, despite some problems they have managed to get through with SCT.
“Four years ago I used to struggle to find means of sending my six grandchildren to school of which two are in secondary school and finding food to eat was also a problem because we could not find enough fertilizer,
After being introduced to the social cash transfer programme four years ago things have changed as I am able to send the children to school, we have enough food and above all we also have goats that we are keeping thanks to the programme,” said Mwase.
Grain House Cluster SCT Committee Secretary Christopher Banda said the programme has supported most elderly headed families who now are able to buy fertilizers, renovate their shelter and most of all send children to school.
Social Welfare Officer at Kasungu District Council Raphael Chitete said the programme has supported elderly headed families, persons who are chronically ill and persons with disabilities and child headed families.
Reported by Vincent Khonje – Malawi News Agency
