From Crisis to Opportunity: How Cash Transfers Helped Maria Build a Livelihood
In the remote villages of Traditional Authority Mbawawela in Thyolo district, many households were brought to their knees by the recent El Niño-induced drought. For Maria, a 27-year-old mother of three, the drought meant more than failed crops — it meant nights of hunger, empty plates, and a deepening fear for her children’s future.
“I watched my garden dry up,” she says. “There was nothing I could harvest, and the market prices were too high for me.”
Maria is one of 230 households reached in Thyolo district under the ECHO Project, implemented by Njira Impact and its partners. The project targets the most food-insecure families, many of whom are subsistence farmers affected by climate shocks.
Before the project, Maria and others in her village were facing severe food insecurity, with only 1 meal per day in some homes,Crop failure due to prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall,No access to savings, credit, or alternative income sources,Children at risk of dropping out of school due to unpaid fees and hunger
Under the ECHO Project, Njira Impact implemented an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) approach, giving selected households MK92,500 per month for 3 months. The innovation focused not just on emergency relief, but also on encouraging resilient livelihoods by allowing recipients to choose how best to use the funds.
This flexible model empowered participants like Maria to invest in both immediate needs and long-term solutions.
Instead of spending all the cash on food, Maria made a bold decision.“I used the first transfer to buy two goats,” she says. “Goats multiply fast, and I knew they could help me in the long run.”She used the remaining amount to purchase: Maize flour and vegetables, Soap, salt, and other household essentials, Materials to build a small goat shelter, Basic goat feed.
Three months later her goats have multiplied from 2 to 3,She plans to sell one to pay school fees for her eldest daughter,She is keeping the others to continue breeding and restocking as now has a sustainable asset and a buffer against hunger
“I no longer live in fear of the next hunger season. I have hope, and I’m building something for my children.”
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