Rebecca Kayange, 41, of Udonda Village, Traditional Authority Kameme in Chitipa District, has found her steps from poverty to self-reliance with savings from the nationwide Social Cash Transfer Programme. Kayange started receiving monthly cash transfers in December 2024. She cashed out K90 000 monthly until April 2025, marking a turning point in her household income.
“I used K30 000 to pay fees for my 15-year-old child who learns at Kameme Community Day Secondary School, another K30 000 to buy a goat and the remainder as capital for a small business which earned me K66 000,” says the mother of four. The woman who could not afford the barest of her needs now provides more than just basics for her household, comprising three girls and one boy. Beyond education, the social protection earnings have enhanced her household’s food security.
Kayange now grows maize, groundnuts and soya beans. She has acquired a 1.5-acre land through proceeds of farming and business. “I want to buy a motorcycle to improve my travel as I sell my goods at Chitipa Boma, about 30 kilometers away.
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So far, I have saved K300 000 from profits,” she says. Kayange belongs to a village savings and loans group, which meets regularly to share financial literacy skills and business loans. These skills have awakened her to the importance of saving and long-term investments for improved livelihoods, including food security, decent housing and resilience to disasters.
Kissa Simkoka, 39, of Ibuzya Village describes the safety net initiative as a lifeline to her family’s dignity. The mother of four was selected for the initiative in 2024. She runs a business that helped her harvest 11 bags of maize weighing 90 kilogrammes each.
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