HOW CONVENIENT IS CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMMING (CTP)?
By ’Mamonehela Masupha – Volunteer
The Lesotho Red Cross Society used the Cash Transfer Programming (CTP) for the first time during the Emergency Drought Relief operation that lasted from May until July.
The aim of the CTP was to enable 1,800 households (totaling 9,000 beneficiaries) who are food insecure to buy food items wherever they are. The decision was made after it became apparent that transportation costs were too high and took the bulk of the money which was meant to buy food for the vulnerable people gravely affected by the on-going drought in Lesotho.
The LRCS engaged local service provider Vodacom Lesotho with their Mpesa service, to train beneficiaries and volunteers of the Society on how the system works. The CTP was utilised in 45 plus satellite villages in Mafeteng, Qacha’s Nek and Thaba-Tseka where the operation was underway.
There were at least 10 Mpesa agents/outlets in the villages or nearest to the beneficiaries. Mpesa Agents are retail outlets which sell among others, groceries.
The plan was to give beneficiaries monthly stipends of M525.00 each. (One Loti is equivalent to One Zar). Beneficiaries were given free sim cards so that they would be alerted when their monies had been deposited into their accounts.
However, the lack of adequate cash outlets in rural villages resulted in complicated exchanges between the beneficiaries and local traders.
According to LRCS Disaster Management Coordinator, Mr. Makula Maine, the challenges experienced were due to the fact that the people using the service were not familiar with it.
Mr. Maine also said that some of the traders actually capitalised on the beneficiaries’ ignorance and insisted they bought goods from them instead of giving them their cash.
“The traders simply kept the money with them and deducted from it until it was all used up. They also hiked prices as high as 100 percent just to get the better of us,” one of the beneficiaries said, adding that way, the money was never enough for all their needs.
“We were forced to buy on credit until the stipends in their possession were finished. This meant that if we wanted to spend the money on other needs we would not be able to do so,” another beneficiary also said.
These are narrations made by some beneficiaries from villages like Maralleng and Ha Moshebi.
The issue of traders taking advantage of ignorant beneficiaries was more pronounced in Sehlabathebe, Qacha’s Nek and in Mafeteng. The minor malfunction was, however, immediately corrected by officials responsible for the operation.
The Cash Transfers component created a credit bubble in Thabana-Morena, Mafeteng and Sehlaba-Thebe.
Some beneficiaries in Thabana-Morena said the cash transfers helped them settle their debts with local traders.
One of them, Mrs. Mosa Thabang, (not her real name) said she had a mutual agreement with the local grocer to buy goods from him on credit and to pay after receiving money from the project at a later stage.
As opposed to food distribution, which is common to everyone in the different communities, cash transfer is new and of course every member of the household wants to handle it. Thus there were cases reported of beneficiaries who did not receive their share of the cash disbursements for three transfers, a total of four households in Mafeteng (two) and Sehlabatheebe (2).
The matter was borne by lack of trust amongst the households, resulting in the money not been used for the better of the entire family at some point with one member squandering it alone.
Others, like 17-year-old Khalemo Maphatsoe who is an orphan heading a family in Mohlakeng, Thaba-Tseka did not get money on two consecutive occasions due to unfavourable political matters in the area.
“I had planned to use that money buy school uniform and paraffin in winter,” Maphatsoe said.
On the other hand, Maine attributed the failures to a myriad of complications, including politics, family matters as well as incorrect telephone numbers.
On a positive note, he, however, indicated that the follow-ups were intensified to bridge the gaps identified during the operation. The cash arrears totaling M18 000 owed to a total of 18 beneficiaries were eventually settled after the evaluation period from September 12 to 17.
Project officers also approached traders who increased the prices to redress the irregularities during the operation.
Maine pointed out that it did not come as a surprise that, despite having trained the beneficiaries on how to make cash transfers through their mobile phones as well as involving LRCS volunteers, some of the beneficiaries still did not get their monies.
“This was exacerbated by the fact that the beneficiaries did not know how to use M-pesa and the line of communication in reporting their cases was not clear at the initial stage of operation,” he further noted.
The transfer was meant to meet the immediate food needs of a family of five. The cash transfer value had been calculated based on the current market prices of a standard food basket that is 12.5kg bag of maize, 1.9kg of beans and 0 .9 Litres of cooking oil per household with one member, Maine also explained.
Meanwhile, the Project was evaluated by a team from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), led by IFRC PMER Officer Yusuf Ibrahim who was accompanied by Gisela Holmen Yngrot from the Swedish Red Cross.
The Evaluation Team commended the Society staff and volunteers for the energy it pumped into the exercise to ensure its success
“Everything went well, and everybody was receptive, including the community”, he said.
He described the project as a life-saving intervention that made it possible for families to cope under difficult circumstances.
He also noted that there are still families of concern that might need support until the next harvest.
Gisela Holmen Yngrot said among others, they learnt important lessons like how to improve the initiative for better results.
Yngrot said responses from the LRCS were also positive although the National Society needed to improve monitoring mechanisms to ensure that all beneficiaries get what is due to them.
She called upon the government of Lesotho and other stakeholders to also make a significant input to alleviate human suffering in the affected areas.
Applauding LRCS volunteers who participated in the exercise, Yngrot said: “Well done, you are an amazing team’’.
The supporting National Societies are British Red Cross, The Netherlands, Swedish Red and Norwegian Red Cross Societies through IFRC facilitation who raised M10 Million for the six months operation.
Lesotho Red Cross Society extended its support to assist the hard hit vulnerable communities of Mafeteng, Qacha’sNek and Thaba Tseka after an emergency appeal was made by the Prime of Lesotho Dr. Pakalitha Mosisili in December 2015.
The areas and families chosen within the districts were found to be the most vulnerable within their respective villages.
ELNINO HARD HIT THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM
The tears that are usually seen dripping down the mountains of Lesotho have dried up. The rivers that flows almost everywhere look so sad with dryness. According to the Lesotho Meteorological Services, the country is experiencing its worst drought conditions since 1972
Lesotho Red Cross Society has received DREF to the tune of CHF77000 (M1 Million+) to assist 900 households (4500 people – each household has 5 people) in three districts of Mafeteng, Qachas’Nek and Thaba Tseka.
Currently the Society, with its volunteers and the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) is busy with identifying the most vulnerable people of the35 villages in the three districts that stated earlier. It is expected that food distribution will resume in February and will take two months.
The Society has also lodged an appeal to the Federation to the tune of CHF 550,000 (7.7 Million) to address the current drought situation in the country. “when approved the funds will be used to give beneficiaries cash transfers vouchers to the tune of M950 per household for four months. The vouchers will enable the beneficiaries to buy food items in the shops near them: said the Programs Director Mrs Matsepo Moletsane.
Lesotho Red Cross Society is one of the first organisations in the country to respond to the call made by the Government to assist drought stricken communities.
The total number of people to be provided with food items is 4500 (5 people per household) Thereafter, the households will receive cash transfer vouchers which enable beneficiaries to buy themselves food items in local shops where they live.
“The cash transfer will be in a form of vouchers that will be given to the shop owners who in turn will submit their invoices to the Society for payment,” Moletsane added.
“ We are still waiting confirmation that the funds will be available after the Appeal was send to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies so that we can start the ball rolling”, Moletsane stated.
According to Mrs. Moletsane “ the aim of introducing the cash transfer system is to avoid the normal logistical nightmare of transporting, buying the food items to different villages which are sometimes very difficult to reach.”
Each household will receive cash transfer voucher to the tune of M950 for three months.
LESOTHO GOVERNMENT NATIONAL APPEAL
The Government of Lesotho was compelled to announce the State of Emergency on the current drought that hit the country in December 2015 and urged both local and international partners to come to the rescue of the most vulnerable and hard hit communities .
The appeal from the Lesotho Government totals M589 Million and the Government will contribute about 155 Million which is readily available. There is a shortfall of about M345 Million to ensure that the most vulnerable communities who are food insecure are assisted urgently.
It is reported that approximately 465,000 people in the country are food insecurity and 180,000 need urgent and immediate attention.
Green houses help feed OVCs in winter
By MphonyanaNtuba
Poor farming techniques,drought, soil erosion, and climate change: these are the major factors that contribute to food insecurity.
The Lesotho Red Cross with the support from the British Red Cross (BRCS) has played a very important role to ease these challenges since the inception of Home Based Care Food Security project.
In winter, things can get even worse. Garden crops are severely affected by frost and strong winds which are exacerbated by climate change.
To combat these challenges, the Lesotho Red Cross Society came up with the idea of having greenhouses and nurseries in its projects in the Red Cross divisions of Mafeteng, Maseru, Mokhotlong, Quthing, and Thaba Tseka. The pilot project in these divisions will test their success and acceptance by the communities so that they can spread out in the future.
The presence of these structures promotes the availability of crops all year round. Surplus can be sold for income generation in order to help the beneficiaries. Vegetable seedlings will be grown in the greenhouse, while the nursery will be used to produce tree seedlings.
In each village where nurseries are erected, committees have been selected by the community members. This is to ensure the smooth running of the initiatives, and to positively reinforce a sense of ownership.
Mr. Mots’oari Motshoari who is a community member and a lead gardener at Ha Mothibeli said that the availability of the greenhouse and a nursery in his village is crucial; pointing out that a sense of being involved in agriculture has been raised. He promised that they will apply all their effort to ensure that production is increased and that the structures are protected so that even future generations can use them.
The idea of greenhouses and nurseries isan exit strategy of the project which is ending this year since its inception in 2010. Other activities implemented included trainings in order to build resilient communities, providing garden tools, seeds for both garden and field crops,and fruit trees.
“I lost everything”: Red Cross aids family in need”
By Matsebiso Motlolopane
She walked for five hours to get help from Lesotho Red Cross Society in a very difficult terrain of Thaba Tseka district.While Nosaniele Thembani was out fetching wood for her family, she lost everything in a house fire. “I found myself and my five children left only with the clothes we are wearing, no food, no furniture, and no blankets. Everything is destroyed,” she wept.
She headed to the only place she knew would be able to assist her – the Thaba Tseka Red Cross Division. The division is also struggling and does not have a lot of relief material, but Divisional Secretary Mrs Matsebiso Motjolopane said as the woman was relating her story, she knew what was coming.
Matsebiso collected donations for Nosaniele through participants of the Society’s gender-based violence workshop and employees from the farmers training centre. Others contributed clothes and maize meal while the division gave her tarpaulin sheet and a blanket. Matsebiso said the Society would do whatever it could for people in need, “That’s what we are here for, to provide humanitarian assistance.”
Climate change brings havoc to vulnerable communities in the new year
By Leteketoa Maqhai – DS Butha Buthe
Climate change has brought havoc to the most vulnerable communities in Lesotho in 2018. The year was received with strong winds which affected 24 houses in different villages of Butha Buthe, followed by Quthing and Thaba Tseka with hail storm and heavy rains where casualties were reported. In addition, Berea saw livestock being struck by lightning and killing a few.
Lesotho Red Cross Society Divisions assessed and assisted those affected but not all due to lack of materials and financial constraints
The changing climate condition affected Butha Buthe where at least 11 houses out of 25 blown-away houses were re-roofed. In the meantime, children, teachers and residents at Mount Moorosi in the Quthing district received psycho-social support and clothes donated by the Her Majesty the Queen’s Trust Fund.
In Thaba-Tseka a taxi full of people was washed away when trying to cross Senqu river. The community around the river will receive psyco-social support in the near future.
Meanwhile, according to reports from Butha Buthe, community members contributed towards donating used corrugated iron sheets for one household.
Lesotho Red Cross Society is encouraging communities to donate in kind or financially so that people affected by disasters can be assisted in the future without delays.
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