World Bank Impressed with Urban Value Addition initiatives

The World Bank Group has expressed satisfaction with the impact of the Livelihoods Support Programme meant to improve people’s socio-economic status through entrepreneurial skills.
World Bank Group regional director for People for Eastern and Southern Africa Daniel Dulitzky said this on Wednesday after appreciating products that savings groups under COMSIP (the Livelihoods Support Program Implementer) are producing to support their livelihoods under the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP), which the bank is funding.
He said: “I am impressed with the various products that livelihoods groups are producing. Cash transfers are important for those people that cannot get jobs, but these skills last forever, so those people that have skills can create jobs, and so together we are creating a circle that will help end poverty.”
In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Halima Daudi said through the World Bank’s livelihoods programme, many lives have been transformed after succeeding in their businesses at community level.
She said through the programme, beneficiaries have ventured into small-scale businesses in service provision, production and processing such as mobile money services, salon, restaurants, agribusiness and trading.
SSRLP Project Coordinator Paul Chipeta said the programme, which has three components, has benefited over 3.1 million participants.
Dulitzky was accompanied by other officials from World Bank Group and World Bank country manager for Malawi Firas Raad.