The Anambra state Cash Transfer Unit has carried out a validation exercise on the beneficiaries of the federal government’s Household Upliftment Program at Orumba South and Ayamelum Council Areas, to test-run the effectiveness of Livelihood package of the scheme.
Household Upliftment program is a social investment program initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to reduce hunger and sufferings of the poorest of the poor and most vulnerable in the society.
The test-run exercise was aimed at discovering a better mode of alleviating poverty, and to encourage the beneficiaries to form cooperative societies to be eligible to obtain soft loans and grants from the federal government for their businesses.
Speaking during the event, the National Program Coordinator of Federal Cash Transfer Unit, Dr. Temitope Sinkaiye who was represented by Mrs Fxetirimam Jauro , a Gender and Safeguard Specialist from National Cash Transfer Office Abuja while explaining that Anambra state had earlier enrolled in the Household Upliftment Program which is now at the livelihood package phase through the support of Governor Willie Obiano, said that local government Cash Transfer Officers had been trained on how to pilot the livelihood package, and advised beneficiaries of the Household Upliftment Program to join the livelihood cooperatives to boost saving culture and end abject poverty.
In an interview, the Head, Anambra State Cash Transfer Unit, Mr Raph Enukorah disclosed that through the Household Uplifting Program, the beneficiaries are paid five thousand naira every month to help them move out of poverty.
Mr Enukorah revealed that eight thousand, one hundred and five vulnerable persons have been benefiting from the household uplifting program in Anambra, and encouraged the beneficiaries selected for the livelihood package to join cooperative societies, improve their saving capacity, so that they can benefit from the federal government’s grants and loans before the expiration of the program.
During the exercise, officials of the cash transfer unit were seen registering beneficiaries through scanning of their Identity Card, which according to the head of operations, Anambra State Cash transfer Unit Mrs Florence Nwagu and a Livelihood Officer in the Office, Mr Christian Obiajulu, is newly created application where data of members of the cooperative societies are stored at the National database to scrape the old manual means of registration in the program.
In a remark, the President General of Ezira Town Union, Mr Evaristus Onwumere commended the federal and state governments for the scheme which he observed has transformed many lives.
In separate interviews, some of the beneficiaries including Mrs Hope Elochukwu and Mrs Eunice Udu, thanked the federal government for the scheme, saying that they had in the past lived on borrowing but with the money given to them, they have been able to start up petty businesses through which they now earn a living.
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