Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Government reaffirmed its commitment to continue implementing the Social Protection Strengthening Program – Kwenda, supporting families in poverty and vulnerability throughout the country.
The information came out of the first ordinary meeting of the Intersectoral Commission for the Coordination of the Social Protection Programme, held in Cidade Alta, under the guidance of the Minister of State for the Social Area, Dalva Ringote.
The director of the Institute of Local Development (FAS), Belarmino Jelembi, spokesperson for the meeting, informed that, after completing the three years foreseen for implementation, the Kwenda program will continue and has already benefited more than 600 thousand families, out of 1,608. 000 registered, disbursed more than 33 billion kwanzas, of the amount financed and expected to increase monthly income from 8,500 kwanzas to 11,000 kwanzas.
According to Belarmino Jelembi, so far, the program has disbursed just over USD 100 million, of the USD 420 million financed, of which 320 by the World Bank and 100 by the Angolan Government.
“Right now, more than one million households are registered, of which more than 600,000 already benefit from the direct transfer of monetary income”, he said, informing that the decision had been taken to increase the monthly amount allocated to families.
Belarmino Jelembi explained that families do not enter the program at the same time, since, at this time, there are municipalities where registration takes place. “It is a gradual and progressive process of expansion”, he certified.
When making a positive assessment of the implementation of the program, it noted for financial execution as expected, in a rigorous and transparent manner, as there were advances beyond the forecast.
“Of the 19 Integrated Social Action Centers (CASI) foreseen until the end of the program, we implemented 22, as well as expected to reach 40 municipalities, but we are in 61”, he pointed out, adding that there are still more than 90 thousand beneficiaries of actions of productive inclusion.
According to a press release issued from the meeting, so far the program has been implemented in 9,397 villages and neighbourhoods, 214 communes, 61 municipalities in 18 provinces.
The note also mentions the success that the program has achieved in the country and serves as a reference for the continent, particularly for the World Bank.
At the meeting, according to the communiqué, the importance of productive inclusion actions, the intersectionality adopted by the program and the measures for strengthening the Single Social Register were reaffirmed.
The Social Protection Strengthening Program – Kwenda began in May 2020, with the pilot phase of the project, which took place in the municipalities of Ombadja (Cunene), Cacula (Huíla), Cambundi Catembo (Malanje), Cuito Cuanavale (Cuando Cubango) and Nzeto (Zaire).
The Kwenda Program is an initiative of the Angolan Government that aims to support families in poverty and vulnerability in the country. It is implemented by FAS, a governmental agency with legal personality, financial and administrative autonomy, in coordination with other institutions to combat poverty.
At the moment, 77 percent of Kwenda’s operations are in cash, a modality implemented due to the fact that many municipalities have difficulties in accessing banks and others. Jelembi made it known that there is a very strict control and monitoring mechanism for the process.
Staff training
The staff involved in the “Kwenda” Social Protection Strengthening Programme, as well as the beneficiary families, will continue to have training activities so that the project achieves the results recommended by the Executive in the medium and long term.
According to Belarmino Jelembi, for better compliance with internationally established rules and procedures in the process of monetary transfers, there are training actions at local level for staff and benefited families.
Among the various trainings on the agenda, stressed the general director of FAS, are financial management, overcoming social action, associativism, cooperativism, among others of a social scope, whose objective is to increasingly strengthen the Kwenda program.
Belarmino Jelembi referred that, while Kwenda is taking place, training activities will continue in parallel with a view to achieving management lessons within international standards in the medium and long term.
The first ordinary meeting of the Intersectoral Commission for the Coordination of Kwenda served to analyze the state of implementation of the program until March this year, from the main actions, results achieved and the challenges for the coming times.
The Minister of Social Action, Family and Women’s Promotion, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, the Secretary of State for Social Communication, Nuno Caldas, and others participated.
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