By Chisomo Phiri

The Malawi government in conjunction with World Bank and other development partners on Monday January 23,2022 successfully launched Malawi Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund, the largest donor funding basket for social protection programs in Malawi.

The fund will see the donors putting their support for social protection programs in the country in one basket.

Speaking after the signing and launch ceremony, Minister of Local Government Blessings Chinsinga said his ministry being one of the ministries working on implementation of the program, he is excited because the fund will be a catalyst for deepening and broadening decentralisation.

Chinsinga said, his ministry will therefore, do all what it takes to ensure the resources meant for the program are well utilised.

Said Chinsinga” We will put up systems that ensures that the intended beneficiaries get reached with the support to improve their livelihoods.”

The Minister said, the new trust fund is an important milestone toward harmonising social protection financing in Malawi and that it will enable the Malawi Government to provide unconditional cash transfers to the most vulnerable Malawians and deliver cash for work to households at risk of extreme hunger.

He added that he Fund will support investments in local communities to undertake public works that recover soils and watersheds.

“It will help boost harvests and increase Malawi’s resilience to the effects of climate change.

“Most importantly, it will raise incomes for farming households for years to come, through expansion of the cash for work program that provides temporary jobs,” said Chinsinga.