By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa
Nkhotakota, December 31, MANA: For a long time, Macdonald Nkhoma of Katapila village, Traditional Authority (TA) Kanyenda in Nkhotakota District suffered hardships and was labeled the poorest in his family.
Each morning, Nkhoma would wake up trying to figure out from whom amongst his employed brothers to beg money for food so that he sustains his family.
Year in-year out, Nkhoma, in a bid to assert his independence as a family man, would set out early morning in search for a piece work. This was the only option he could think of as source of income for his household.
“Honestly, I was the poorest in my family. I used to stay in a grass thatched house” said Nkhoma pointing at where it stood.
Married with four children, Nkhoma says his was a life of misery and desperation with each day characterized with thoughts of how to find money to feed his family.
Nkhoma recalls that such thoughts denied him sleep during the nights adding “these weighed me down”.
But as the saying goes, there is an expiry date to every problem, Nkhoma`s life took an unexpected turn in 2018, thanks to the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
With monthly cash transfers of K4,000 for a one member household, K5,000 for two, K6,500 for three and K8,000 for four and above members, with K1000 and K2,000 bonuses each for primary and Secondary school going children respectively, the program has made a difference than never.
Popularly known as Mtukula Pakhomo, one of the Social Protection programme being implemented across the country is credited for pulling many out of abject poverty.
Nkhoma testifies as to how the programme led to the gradual end to his reproach soon after getting the first cash.
“I cashed first sometime in 2018 and immediately I knew it wasn’t enough but with good management it can make a difference” he said.
“So I joined the Village Savings Bank (VSB) where I later borrowed money and ventured into business, selling fish” he said.
Nkhoma says with the profits he bought pigs which multiplied and enabled him buy Iron Sheets for his house.
Realizing that the programme would phase out in the long run, Nkhoma decided to diversify his sources of income and bought sheep which have so far multiplied.
“You don’t have to put all eggs in one basket, so one has to build multiple sources of income” he says.
He advises other beneficiaries to find ways of investing the little they get from Mtukula Pakhomo in order to have a positive impact, observing money is never enough.
Concurring with him is Milika Lungu of Group Village Headman Nkumbila, TA Kanyenda who says in as far as she is concerned; the Mtukula Pakhomo program is a game changer to her life.
“I have managed to build a decent house with money from the program but I had to first invest” she says.
The single mother of four school going children says she earns K8, 600 in total per month which she had saved for months and later bought fertilizer.
“I only use a small portion of that money to buy learning materials for my children while saving the remainder because I had a plan to have a better house” she said.
Lungu says with the money saved, she bought fertilizer and worked hard in the field to realize her vision.
That year, I harvested 86 bags of maize. Then I decided to mould bricks and later sold 50 bags of the maize and used the money to buy Iron sheets” she said.
She said she engaged a builder who agreed to build her house, allowing payment in installment, adding she is ably repaying the builder.
Lungu observes that with better management, Mtukula Pakhomo has the potential of changing people`s lives.
Another beneficiary, 74-year-old Jessy Chingaipe of TA Kafuzira was all praises for the programme saying as a single mother she managed to build a house.
“I used to save money earned from Mtukula Pakhomo and with the capital started trading in plastic buckets with the help of my daughter” she said,
Chingaipe says she is now self reliant and able to support herself and dependants besides owning livestock such as goats.
Perhaps one of the amazing stories is how a 13 member household managed to construct a nine bed room house using money from Mtukula Pakhomo.
At first glance, one would not believe that the house came out from the programme`s proceeds until mother in the family explains.
The mother, Elizabeth Phiri of Mkwindangolo village, TA Kafuzila first dispels doubts that the house cannot come from Mtukula Pakhomo, observing it all depends on how one engages the brain.
“I, my husband and the children invested into rice farming and ventured into other businesses.
“Luckily, God was on our side and we managed to build this house out of the initial capital from the program” she said.
Emily Kachiswe, one of the Social Workers in the district says the beneficiaries are advised to use the money prudently while taking care of the needs of their school going children.
District Social Welfare Officer, Francis Maganga observes the program was positively impacting the lives of the ultra-poor in the district.
“Many people’s lives have improved, with some unbelievably acquiring assets such as houses and livestock” he said.
He plays down assertions that the programme is riddled with inclusion and exclusion errors, saying this was not a serious issue in Nkhotakota due to maximum community involvement in the process.
However, he bemoans lack of enough human and material resources, such as officers and vehicles especially during transfer, describing it a setback.
Maganga however expressed optimism that with the impending migration from manual to e-payment due early 2022, some of the challenges would be addressed.
It is undisputable that transfer levels for the Mtukula Pakhomo programme are indeed relatively low. However, it has been observed that with better advice on good management and other financial literacy interventions, the programme can bring wonders to struggling families.
