By JULIUS PHIRI –

About 24,000 vulnerable people have benefited from the Government’s social cash transfer in Eastern Province since the inception of the programme in 2006.
Community Development, Mother and Child Health acting provincial senior social welfare officer Rosalynn Hang’omba said more than K7 million had been disbursed to the vulnerable households.
The social cash transfer is the money given by the Government to vulnerable households in selected districts in the country in a bid to cushion their social and economic challenges.
Ms Hang’omba said yesterday that Chipata and Petauke have 5,974 and 5,856 beneficiaries, respectively.
“Sinda District has 4,810 beneficiaries, Katete has 4,690 with Mambwe having 2,595 beneficiaries, bringing the grand total in five districts of Eastern Province benefiting from the scheme to 23,925,” she said.
Ms Hang’omba said the aim of the scheme was to reduce hunger and poverty, thereby promoting human development through nutrition, health, education and gender equality.
She said the Government recognised the fact that certain households in Zambia needed regular welfare support, hence the decision to give them cash.
Senior social welfare officer Cosmas Sikwibele said the scheme was being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare as one of the elements of the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme.
“The objective of the social cash transfer scheme is to reduce extreme poverty and inter-generational transfer of poverty,” Mr Sikwibele said.
He said the efficacy of the outreach and targeting process was mainly driven by the Community Welfare Assistance Committees.