Principal Social Welfare Officer for Karonga District Council, Tiwonge Mbale, on Thursday said the Council intends to categorically register 8,000 households to benefit from Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) dubbed Mtukula Pakhomo.

In an interview, Mbale said currently the district has about 7,500 households which have been participating in the World Bank funded programe for close to six years.

“These households are expected to graduate and this has prompted us to register new households targeting the elderly, chronically ill, disabled, labour constrained and child headed families,” said Mbale.

He said since the inception of the program in 2018, most ultra-poor households have their livelihoods improved.

“Some have managed to acquire livestock, build iron sheet thatched houses and are sustainably food secure consequently improving nutrition status.

“Others have joined village savings and loans (VSL) groups to ensure that the stipend which they get bimonthly attracts interests and later invest in businesses,” he said.

According to Mbale, government has increased the amount of biannual stipend from K12,000 to K20,000.

One of the beneficiaries, 79-year-old, Abelo Nyandola, from Ngara in the area of Senior Chief Mwirang’ombe in the district said the programme has pulled her out of poverty.

“I have a good house with the money which I benefited from the initiative. I also have five goats and I pay for school for my five grandchildren,” Nyandola said.

Another beneficiary, William Sichali, said he used to live in a mud built hut but now has built himself a decent house with the stipend and from saving with VSL group.