Over eleven thousand ultra-poor beneficiaries are expected to graduate from the status under the Livelihood support program which is being implemented by government through COMSIP Cooperative Union
This comes when there are observations that despite government and international community supporting the ultra-poor with cash and other intervention, much has not changed in the livelihood of such beneficiaries.
The livelihood support program aims at improving resilience among the poor and vulnerable as well as strengthen the national platform for safety nets.
Suzan Kondowe -Operations Manager for COMSIP Cooperative Union-has told MIJ Online during a media orientation on Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Project that through the program, beneficiaries in the social protection programs undergo capacity building and basic livelihood interventions that will help them to earn income and build resilience against shocks.
According to Kondowe, COMSIP has currently mobilized 44,000 beneficiaries into servings and loans groups, training them in mindset change to have the capacity to earn a living.
“We are very optimistic of achieving this goal because we piloted it under MASAF 4 and we are just replicating what we did.
We have seen several cash transfer beneficiaries that have benefitted from the livelihood support interventions and now their lives have improved with others managing to diversify their income generating activities, so this is very possible.” Said Kondowe
Kondowe disclosed that the project which was initially implemented in 14 districts has now been extended to reach the remaining 14 districts, thereby extending beneficiaries to 98,000.
“Through this livelihood support program we are expecting to graduate about 11,200 beneficiaries from both public works and social cash transfer programs and the procedure we are using it that these beneficiaries will undergo all trainings under livelihood support and towards the end they will be reached out with the graduation packages where they will be given push factors such as assets and cash injection to help them graduate from ultra-poverty at a faster rate”. Kondowe explained
The program is being implemented under the Malawi government’s Social Support for Resilient Livelihood project with funding from the World Bank through the National Local Government Finance Committee.