FRANCIS Makala, a 39 year old visually impaired man from Kaleya Station in Mazabuka District of Southern Province, has expressed gratitude to the government for supporting him through the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme.

Mr Makala, who receives K1,200 from the SCT, explains that life was challenging before the programme came to his aid but now has provided him with a vital source of income, enabling him to feed his family, raise chickens, and send his children to school.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Mr Makala urged other visually impaired persons to register with the Community Welfare Assistance Committee (CWAC) so that they too can benefit from the initiative.

Mazabuka District Coordinator for the Zambia National Association for Persons with Disabilities (ZANAPD), Beauty Hamwendo, emphasised her office’s efforts to ensure inclusivity in government programmes.

Meanwhile, the Zambia National Federation of the Blind has applauded the government for increasing SCT allocations to visually impaired persons.

Federation Vice President for Administration, Lazarus Hakalebula, revealed that over 500, 000 disabled people are now benefiting from the programme across the country.

He observes that these changes are making a real difference in communities.

And Mazabuka District Commissioner, Oliver Mulomba, reiterated the government’s dedication to improving the lives of the differently abled citizens. 

He called on CWAC to expedite the registration of unregistered individuals in the district.

Mr Mulomba further stated that the government remains committed to ensuring no one is left behind in national development.