The district's programme facilitator, Wydrine Sonjo, said though the wages might not be enough, investing them in initiatives such as Village Savings and Loans (VSL) may ease their vulnerability and sustain their livelihoods.

Sonjo said this on Tuesday after field supervision at Mudzumbwi gully restoration in Sub-Traditional Authority Mulenga where he expressed positive impression of the exercise.

"It is the desire of government that the resilience and cope mechanism for these households is improved. One way of doing that is to promote the village savings," Sonjo said.

The district's youth officer, Olga Mlambe also urged the youth to participate in the programme such as planting trees for the future.

Mlambe: "I was quoting much the Malawi 2063 which relies much on the youth. So, they need to lead the project because this is the only way to change environment of the area."

Thyolo district commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga said about K450 million has been set aside for wages in the second cycle while over K1 billion will be used this year in the district.

Kuphanga has since hailed the establishment of the Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) for reducing complaints relating to social protection interventions.

"In the past, we used to handle very small issues here at the office. But now, the committees are helping us to resolve many grievances on the ground even some which are relating to this program," he said.

Some of the beneficiaries Madalena Julius from Mulenga village and Alex Benjamin Damiano who hails from Msenga village in the area of STA-Mulenga, lauded the impact of the programme, saying they are able to buy food and livestock.

Currently, through World Bank and the Multi-donor Fund, 18, 000 households are benefitting in Thyolo while

520 families are scattered across the country under this component of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project will end in 2027.

Meanwhile, a high-level National Social Support Steering Committee is expected to announce at the end of this month oj January the upward revision of money that the beneficiaries receive of K1, 200 per day.