Minister wants ultra-poor adult, financial literacy program implemented

Malawi: The Ministry of Gender, Children, Community Development, and Social Welfare has requested that an adult and financial literacy program for the ultra-poor be implemented.

Patricia Kaliati, the Minister of Gender, made the remarks after touring some of the beneficiaries of the Tidzidalire Social-Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) implemented by CARE Malawi at Kamphimbi Village, Traditional Authority Mdidi in Salima district.

According to Kaliati, many households are unable to advance their livelihoods due to high levels of illiteracy, particularly in financial management.

She said: "Because of some of the high levels of illiteracy and dropouts of girls' children, we have asked CARE Malawi, with support from the Ministry of Finance and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), including social welfare officers, to come forward and parade all the communities into adult education."

Despite the call, Kaliati praised the initiative, saying that it is helping many families transform their lives and become economically independent.

"Everything is going so well, and many people are benefiting from the social cash transfer program. They have improved in comparison to where they were prior to the initiative,” she said.

Many families have been able to sustain their lives as a result of the program and have started small-scale businesses, including commercial farming, among other things.

The SCTP's primary goals are to reduce poverty and hunger while increasing school enrollment.