World Bank Manager impressed with Livelihoods Support Program

World Bank Country Manager Hugh Riddell says he is impressed with how beneficiaries of the graduation pilot component of the Livelihoods Support Program in Karonga have invested the seed capital they received for business.

Ridell was speaking in during his tour to appreciate progress in the core components of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project, SSRLP, a government of Malawi Project implemented with funding from the World bank and Social Protection Multi Donor Trust Fund in Karonga district.

Riddell toured business premises of beneficiaries of the seed capital, most of whom have put the funds to good use by growing their businesses.

Under graduation, beneficiaries that have shown interest to get out of extreme poverty are supported with a seed capital of $300 for business and the intervention targets 18,400 by the end of the project in 2027.

Earlier in the day Ridell visited Twitule cooperative that distils wine from various fruits like tamarind, baobab, pumpkin, Masau and banana.

The cooperative benefited from world bank grants in MASAF 3 Public Works Project and the Country Manager said “it was pleasing to see the cooperative is still into value addition, years after the project ended”

Twitule wine is currently going through a certification process by the Malawi Bureau of Standards, a development Ridell said was encouraging.

He advised other cooperatives benefiting from production grants to emulate what Twitule Cooperative is doing in continuing and implementing what they learned to economically uplift their households and contribute to the development of their areas and the country as a whole.

In his remarks, the factory Manager at Twitule thanked the country manager for the visit and thanked the bank for its support in establishing their facility reiterating the Cooperative’s commitment to growing their production for livelihoods improvement.

“We are focused on growing our production, and currently we are planning on developing an orchard, so that we don’t run out of fruits for distilling our wine,” he said.

During an event later, T/A Mwirangombe of Karonga commended the World Bank for the SSRLP and further commended the bank Manager for the visit, saying it is important for donors to make such visits to appreciate the impact of their support.