Malawi

The Government of Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) scheme is an unconditional transfer targeted to ultra-poor and labor-constrained households operated by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development (MoGCCD) with policy oversight and guidance provided by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MoEPD) and UNICEF Malawi. The programme began as a pilot in 2006 in Mchinji District and was subsequently expanded to an additional eight districts in 2009 (Balaka, Likoma, Chitipa, Salima, Machinga, Phalombe and Mangochi). As of August 2013, the program reached approximately 30,000 households and 100,000 individuals. The main objectives of the SCTP are to reduce poverty and hunger, and to increase school enrollment. Transfer amounts vary by household size and number of children enrolled in school, ranging from 1,000-6,000 Malawi kwacha (USD $2 – 6) per monthly, approximately 17% of baseline household consumption.