Over 9,000 beneficiaries of social cash transfer in Chadiza district of Eastern Province have started getting their money.
Chadiza District Social Officer, Linda Kangwa says the money is for January and February of 2024.
And a check by ZANIS at one of the pay points in Chadiza, found a number of people receiving their money.
Meanwhile, Ms Kangwa has clarified to ZANIS that some people were receiving money through urban payments currently being done through Payment Service Providers while rural payments continue to be serviced through PayPoint Managers.
“The number of beneficiaries has been increasing from 2017, we had at least 3,000 but we now have 9,000 beneficiaries and this is helping the people ,” she explained.
She adds that due to the technology where people are receiving money via Mobile transactions, long queues have been reduced as many people receive money from their homes while a few opt to come to the pay points.
Mrs Kangwa explained that the money given by the government to the communities has helped many households to sustainably develop themselves from abject poverty to a moderate living standard.
“As we monitor the progress of Social Cash Transfer, we notice many households improving their lives because for families that did not even have a goat, now they have a few including cattles which is very impressive,” she said.
And the beneficiaries are happy with the government’s policy to help the vulnerable groups.
Chadiza Central Paypoint Manager, Deborah Banda, said the government was paying all beneficiaries for two months hence the high number of beneficiaries turning up to receive their payments.
And one of the beneficiaries who is a person with disability Govati Banda, was thankful to the government for providing money to the vulnerable groups.
“I am grateful, this money will help solve some of the problems I have, I have gotten K800 and will use it to buy groceries,” He said.
Mr Banda has since called on the government to ensure that the money is given every month to help the needy cope with the rising prices of commodities.
He said the social cash transfer helps many vulnerable groups including the old and people with disabilities among others who have no other means of sustaining themselves due to their socio-economic status.
