By Mcloyd Chilangiza
The Malawi Government and the World Bank have, through the Malawi Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund, signed a $510.5 million grant for the continued implementation of Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP).
The project fosters resilience building among vulnerable populations through the Social Cash Transfer Programme, Climate-smart Enhanced Public Works Programme and other livelihoods development initiatives.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Lilongwe, Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda said the grants would revitalise the government’s reform economic programme to cushion Malawians from hard economic situations.
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Chithyola Banda also indicated that the grant signifies the restoration of donor community trust in government, saying this has the potential to foster national economic recovery.
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“This potentially means that the donors have trust in the leadership of Dr Lazarus Chakwera but also in the economic reform programmes for economic recovery that we, as a country, have put,” Chithyola Banda said.
He also said the grant would complement the government efforts of increasing the number of beneficiaries enrolled in the Social Cash Transfer Programme as well as the re-introduction of the Urban Cash Transfer initiative to cushion Malawians from the aftermath of the 44 percent devaluation of the Kwacha.
World Bank Country Manager Hugh Riddell said the project seeks to cushion poverty-stricken Malawians from economic challenges.
“This gives additional resources to capture more Malawians in the social protection system; thus, we are making sure that vulnerable Malawians are bailed out of economic woos.
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“Secondly, it takes the social protection system from segmentation to harmonisation, which will potentially scale up financing for sustainable development,” Riddell said He then implored the government to be accountable and transparent when implementing the project.
Ireland Ambassador to Malawi Seamus O’Grady, who is one of the donors, said the commission of the grant through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund shows the donor community’s commitment to bailing out vulnerable people and put them on course to attaining economic goals.
“The signing of the new donor Multi-Donor Trust Fund proves that we, as the international community, are, together with the Government of Malawi, keen on supporting the most vulnerable Malawians so that they have dignified lives through social protection schemes,” O’Grady said.
At the onset of the project in 2022, the United States Agency for International Development and Iceland committed $4.4 million and $3 million, respectively, to the initiative.
The new donors’ contributions are broken down as Norway $8 million, Ireland $17.37 million, the European Union $40.4 million and other donors such as the United Kingdom Commonwealth Development Office with an approximation of $0.6 million.
Over 778,000 households, with a special focus on women and youths, are expected to benefit from the project until 2027.
