The Department for International Development (DFID), a United Kingdom Government Department responsible for administering overseas aid has donated Vehicles, Motor Bikes and other equipment to aid the implementation of the Social Cash Transfer Schemes in the country.
DFID Head of Office Mark Richardson handed over 36 motor vehicles, 28 motor bikes and 2900 bicycles to the Minister of Community development Emerine Kabanshi in Lusaka today.
The donated equipment also include 31 safes, 31 desktop computers, 30 laptops, 15 solar panels and office furniture for 28 districts.
Community Development Minister Emerine Kabanshi stated that the vehicles and other equipment will assist her Ministry in strengthening its systems and build capacity to implement the social cash transfer programme.
ZANIS reports that Ms. Kabanshi stated that her Ministry and the cooperating partners worked tirelessly to ensure that the motor vehicles, bicycles, and other items were procured to support efficient programme implementation.
She noted that with availability of transport at district and provincial levels, government is certain that the social cash transfer programme’s goal of reducing extreme poverty and intergenerational transfer of poverty will be realized expeditiously.
She has since commended the cooperating partners for the gesture and assured them that her officers in the districts will take care of the vehicles which have been procured at a great cost.
DFID Head of Office Mark Richardson congratulated government on achieving nationwide scale up of the social cash transfer programme.
Mr. Richardson said it is commendable for government to have increased the reach of the programme from 19 districts in 2014 to over 100 in 2017.
He said the UK government and other cooperating partners consider social protection as a powerful tool for investing in the livelihoods of the most vulnerable households and a key strategy for Zambia in addressing the extreme poverty.
He said his government is proud to support the Ministry of Community Development as it leads efforts to improve the lives of persons living with disability, recognizing the additional barriers inhibiting their full participation in society and support them to overcome obstacles.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by the representatives of the embassies of Ireland, Finland and Sweden.
The idea behind the Social Cash Transfer is great but it’s one leg. The Government is standing on one leg and therefore can not realize the benefits in record time. At this pace it’ll take decades to fully actualize the benefits and considerably reduce intergenerational poverty. This program can make a change if Zambia adopts a universal free medical care and education at grade and secondary level. These are the other two legs that are needed to reduce extreme poverty. It’s unfortunate that the universal medical insurance recently unveiled by Ministry of health goes against everything this program stands for. This is pouring water in a bucket that has a hole in it.
Isn’t this the same DFID that was reported to have been ripped off last year donations by certain NGOs? Now, without holding those culprits responsible, the same DFID is feeding another group of party cadres again.
This is a joke!!!
general Kanene – DFID is just ticking the box for 2017 they will report back to Foreign Office that the assisted the natives!!
Useless beggars they have no plan for those things especially bicycles they will simply give to cadres!!