MTUKULA PAKHOMO UPLIFTING FAMILIES IN NKHOTAKOTA

By Innocent Chunga.

Mtukula pakhomo project beneficiaries have commended government for introducing the project saying it is transforming the livelihood of the beneficiaries economically.

One of the beneficiaries McDonald Nkhoma of Traditional Authority Kanyenda from Nkhotakota district said he has managed to construct a brick house with iron sheets through his monthly aid from the project.

“Before Mtukula pakhomo, I was leaving in poverty. I was depending on my relatives to help my family with basic need”.

“But now I have a good house that qualifies to be called home. With the same funding, i am also paying school fees for my secondary school children”, Nkhoma explains.

Another beneficiary Milica Lungu said with 8 children to look after on her own, life was not simple. she used to relay on piece work to bring food and their family necessities.

After being enrolled on Mtukula pakhomo, she said life has changed as she is now one of the well-known grain farmers in the area.

Lungu narrates “I was only deducting a very little percentage of money on my monthly aid, the lest i was saving in preparation for the rainy season.

“I rent a garden and buy fertilizer using the savings from Mtukula pakhomo. At the end of the season, l managed to harvest 80 bags of maize of which I sold some bags and used the money to construct this house as i was living in a grass thatched house,

“The remaining money was used to pay school necessities and other family needs,”

Upon realizing that one day they won’t’ be receiving cash any more as the project will phase out, Nkhoma concurred with Lungu as both of them have started livestock farming and they are also doing small businesses in addition of being members of Village Savings and Loan groups established by COMSIP among Mtukula pakhomo beneficiaries.

Emily Kachiswe a social worker in the district said they make sure that the money that received is benefiting children of the benefiting families.

“We encourage beneficiaries to make sure that they are paying school necessities for their children. In addition, we also encourage them to make sure that they are providing nutritious food to young children as to reduce malnutrition in district,” she added.

Social welfare officer Francis Maganga said they are satisfied with the outcome of the project as he said is indeed transforming lives of beneficiaries.