By Emmanuel Continhu
Save the Children on Thursday launched a social cash transfer programme to assist Standard 8 learners in various primary schools in Chikwawa District to enable them buy learning materials.
Save the Children Senior Technical Advisor for Education and Child Development, Lexon Ndalama said the organisation decided to launch the cash transfer programme as a response to the floods which swept away learning materials of most learners.
“The cash transfer is a response to Cyclone Ana because we noted that some schools lost most of its teaching and learning materials to floods; during the flooding, learners lost their learning materials and we were concerned with the welfare of Standard 8 learners in particular,” Ndalama said.
District Education Senior Inspector, Rhoda Makwiti expressed gratitude towards the development, noting that it will assist the learners buy materials they lost during the disaster.
However, Makwiti encouraged the beneficiaries to work extra hard than before because they have adequate materials.
“The cash transfer will assist the learners because they were affected by Cyclone Ana especially Standard 8 learners will improve their performance as they were discouraged because they had inadequate materials but now they will recover what was lost during the flooding,” she said.
Chikwawa District Social Welfare Officer, Aaron Macheka thanked Save the Children for the support considering that it would help the learners prepare well for the national examinations due later in the year.
“We are extremely happy with the launch by our partners Save the Children by coming in to support 20 schools in Bereu Zone, we urge the parents to make proper use of the money because any challenges children face is our main concern,” said Macheka.
Save the children has partnered FDH Bank to be processing cash transaction for the learners and they are expected to spend K40 million on learners in the district whereby each student will receive K17, 000.