Bulawayo (New Ziana)- A total of 19 000 households in 5 new rural districts are set to benefit from the Emergency Social Cash Transfer (ESCT) program that provides cash payments.
The five districts include Rushinga, Binga, Mudzi, Makoni and Mangwe.
The program, which was launched in Bulawayo recently, also seeks to strengthen the resilience of households from food insecurities.
It combines nutrition and child protection service and was first launched in August 2020 supporting the two districts of Gutu and Highfields.
In 2022, the program supported over 113 790 individuals and 25 801 households in urban areas of the 8 districts of Beitbridge, Binga, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Gutu, Highfields, Lupane and Mufakose.
In a statement, UNICEF Zimbabwe said under the new phase, ESCT, which is being funded by the German Government through its investment and development bank KfW, and delivered together with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Goal and World Vision, would provide cash payments while providing a further three months of continuity support to its existing urban districts.
Chief Director of Social Development and Disability Affairs in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Edmos Mtetwa commended the collaboration between his Ministry, UNICEF and the implementing partners.
“I urge that the excellent coordination between all stakeholders be maintained across the whole processes from grassroots level to national level. Through our coordinated effort we need to ensure that we reach the most vulnerable in the communities and minimise exclusion,” he said.
UNICEF deputy representative of programmes Zeinab Adam highlighted the importance of the holistic approach of the programme.
“Providing support from multiple angles is essential because we know that there are multiple vulnerabilities that need to be addressed and that cash alone cannot do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, UNICEF said under the new phase of the support, the programme would also be working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to support selected schools in the new districts with a school feeding program for one school calendar year.
“This will be organized through the School Improvement Grant, an established mechanism that provides direct payments to schools to support them address most basic needs and meet a minimum set of school functionality criteria,” it said.
New Ziana
