Government and Cooperating partners will next week commence disbursement of COVID 19 Emergency Social Cash Funds to pandemic victims in six districts of the Copperbelt.
UNICEF Financial Management Expert, Bwalya Mukefuwa said the project which will run for a period of six months is expected to mitigate hunger situations in households that are worst hit by the effects of COVID 19.
Dr. Mukefuwa said beneficiaries who are already on the social cash transfer scheme will be paid bi-monthly grants of K800 adding that this will reduce poverty levels in most households.
He said this when he called on Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Bright Nundwe in Ndola yesterday that Airtel has been contracted to disburse the funds to the beneficiaries.
“This is a milestone especially that we have gone cashless,” Dr. Mukefuwa said.
And Mr. Nundwe said the emergency cash transfer funds will undoubtedly cushion hunger situations in worst-hit COVID 19 districts.
Mr. Nundwe also appealed to the funders of the program not to just concentrate on urban districts but rural ones too.
He said the bringing on board the other four districts will drastically reduce poverty levels in many households in the province.
“There also has to be sustainability in the program, I’m thinking what happens to the beneficiaries after six months and if COVID 19,” he said.
The programs will be rolled out in all the ten districts of the Copperbelt except Luanshya, Masaiti, Mpongwe and Lufwanyama.
14 districts are earmarked to benefit from emergency cash transfer representing 118, 000 households across the country.
The program is being supported by UNICEF, World Bank and four other cooperating partners.
Source: Lusaka Times
