Social welfare officer responsible for the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in Salima, Thumbiko Mbale, says while the shift to mobile money technology has brought convenience to the programme, it has also presented some challenges for elderly beneficiaries, many of whom struggle to access their funds due to difficulties using mobile phones.
Mbale raised the concern on Friday during a field visit to Ngolowindo, under Traditional Authority Maganga in Salima, where officials were monitoring how households had used their lean season top-up funds.
“Most of our beneficiaries are elderly. They have trouble navigating mobile phones, forget their PINs, or even share them with anyone around, which puts their money at risk,” Mbale explained.
He added that his office is working hand-in-hand with cluster committees to raise awareness and help recipients better understand how to use mobile money services securely and confidently.
Despite these digital challenges, Mbale expressed satisfaction with how the emergency support has been used. He said most households used the money for its intended purpose, buying food and improving food security at home.
“We are happy to see the impact. Families have been able to purchase food items, especially maize, and that’s helping reduce hunger in many homes,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries from Ngolowindo, Felesta Yohane, shared how the funds made a difference in her life.
“These funds have really helped us. I used the money to buy a bag of maize. At least now we have food during this difficult season,” she said.
The government, through the SCTP, provided an additional K70,000 per household as a top-up in response to the El Niño-induced dry spells. This was on top of the usual bi-monthly transfers that beneficiaries receive under the programme.
A total of 8,365 households were targeted and budgeted for under this special support phase.
The SCTP, commonly known as Mtukula Pakhomo, is a flagship government initiative aimed at supporting ultra-poor and labor-constrained households across Malawi. The goal is to reduce poverty and strengthen resilience among the most vulnerable groups.
(By Fegson Phabuli)