By Draxon Maloya
The Malawi Red Cross Society has embarked on cash transfer pilot project in Karonga and Mangochi districts as one way of easing financial challenges due to the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to Red Cross the pandemic is heavily affecting already vulnerable households in their day to day livelihoods hence the donations.
Speaking after distributing cash to 43 households at Iponga in Karonga, MRCS District Project Cordinator Blessings Mlowoka said the organisation has already identified 926 beneficiaries in the district.
He said the project will soon rollout to all the district of the country in order to benefit more vulnerable households.
“As Malawi Red Cross Society upon realizing that covid-19 has brought in untold misery mainly to those affected or infected we mobilised resources to assist the victims,” Mlowoka said.
One of the beneficiaries Peter Msiska from Kasewe Village in Traditional Authority Mwakawoko hailed Red Cross and he said the donation will go a long way in easing challenges he household was facing.
“Life has been very unbearable because one of the measures to mitigate the further spreading of coronavirus is that that victims should be isolated from people so we could not manage to buy our basic needs such as food and soap, but now Red Cross has come in as good Samaritan” he said.
As of Thursday data collected indicate that Karonga District had recorded 74 covid-19 confirmed cases and three deaths.
The Malawi Red Cross cash transfer pilot project which is in its second month is being implemented with financial assistance from partner Red Cross Societies of Denmark and Netherlands