Chiefs’ interference frustrates cash transfer programme

Concern Worldwide says despite recording a successful emergency cash transfer to 25 000 food-insecure households in Mchinji, interference from some chiefs in beneficiary selection is frustrating the programme.

Gracious Chabvi, Concern Worldwide project manager for the emergency cash transfer programme in Mchinji and Nkhotakota, told the Mchinji District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting on Tuesday that chiefs were interfering in the targeting process. He said this has seen some deserving families not benefitting from the programme.

He also said there were reports about village civil protection committee members extorting money from beneficiaries, a situation he described as worrisome to the organisation.

However, Chabvi said despite the challenges, the project, whose main objective is to save lives, lessen suffering and contribute towards resilience building of households affected by food insecurity, successfully distributed cash entitlement to beneficiaries for four months.

Concern Worldwide, in conjunction with a consortium of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Goal Malawi and Oxfam, targeted the most vulnerable households such as those without formal wages and regular income, according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac).

The first distribution of the cash transfer began in January and ended in April. The households received money equivalent to the market value of a 50 kilogramme (kg) bag of maize per month, 10kg of groundnuts and maize seeds and two litres of cooking oil.