LUSAKA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- It is a bright Tuesday morning, and Chelina Sankila anxiously waits for an important notification to flash on the screen of her small feature phone. She paces up and down in her tiny two-room house, the evidence of her years of hard work as a maid in an affluent neighborhood of Lusaka, Zambia's capital.
Around noon, the 77-year-old woman's face suddenly beams as she gazes at her phone screen. She turns to her five grandchildren, who are eagerly waiting to hear the good news. "Zangena!!" she exclaims.
Zangena is a term locals use, mostly on payday, to indicate that funds have been credited to one's account.
"My grandchildren burst into jubilation whenever they hear me say zangena," says Sankila, a resident of Lusaka's Ng'ombe compound. She begins listing essential commodities to purchase with the 800 Zambian Kwacha (about 30.96 U.S. dollars) that has just appeared in her mobile money account.
Sankila's household is one of the beneficiaries of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) program, a lifeline for the elderly and other vulnerable individuals, such as persons with disabilities, across Zambia. Started by the Zambian government in 2003, this social safety net initiative has made a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable households, especially for those aged 60 years and above who have no source of livelihood and lack the capacity to undertake meaningful economic ventures due to age-related restrictions.
The SCT program provides essential financial assistance to meet basic needs and improve overall well-being. Beneficiary households receive between 400 and 800 Zambian Kwacha (about 15.48 to 30.96 U.S. dollars), with funds remitted into beneficiaries' mobile money accounts once every two months.
"The program has been a blessing for me. It ensures that I can afford essential items such as food, medication and even a few clothes that bring joy to my otherwise simple life," says Bernard Banda, 92, from Chongwe district. Banda, a retired auto mechanic, said that he started receiving SCT funds about three years ago after a team of social welfare workers visited his homestead to assess his situation.
Sara Bwalya, an 88-year-old homemaker from Kapiri Mposhi district in central Zambia, shared her experience as a beneficiary of the SCT program. "Receiving this support has truly changed my life. At my age, with limited means of earning, this assistance allows me to meet my daily needs. I am grateful for the government's initiative that recognizes and uplifts the elderly like myself," she said.
The program, which started as a pilot project in Kalomo district, Southern Zambia, in 2003, is now implemented in all 116 districts of the country. Over the years, several cooperating partners and the World Bank have provided financial assistance toward the program. By 2021, 974,160 vulnerable households had benefited from the program, according to a UN report published in March 2022.
Bwalya, who has been a beneficiary of the SCT for two years, revealed that she uses much of the money to supplement the educational needs of her 15 grandchildren. "I had nine children. Five of them have since passed away. The money from social welfare helps me support my orphaned grandchildren with school books and other school requirements," she said.
By alleviating the economic hardships faced by older citizens, the SCT program is enabling them to lead dignified lives, Bwalya added. ■
