Some beneficiaries of Conditional-Cash-Transfer of the National Social Investment Programme in Kaduna State says the Households Uplifting Programme has significantly improved their livelihood. The beneficiaries, mostly aged women, who said this after reviewing N20,000 each, in Chikun and Ikara Local Government Areas of the state on Wednesday, commended the Federal Government for transforming their lives through the programme. They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the programme was life-changing, noting that it had taken them out of poverty and given them a sustainable means of livelihood. One of them, Mrs Naomi Michael, said her family depended largely on subsistence farming before she was enrolled in the programme in 2019. Michael told NAN in Kujama, Chikun LGA, that the support had enabled her to establish a grains processing plant, where she processes grains into flour and earns between N800 to N1000 daily.“This is providing my family with three square meals a day and helping me in taking care of other household’s financial needs. I’m so grateful to the Federal Government for reaching out to families like mine.“The programme has truly put a smile on our faces,” she said. Another beneficiary, Mrs Victoria Aloye, told NAN that she used the monthly cash support to established a local snacks business (Waina) and made between N600 and N1000 daily. According to her, the support has given her some level of financial independence which supports the family’s financial needs. Similarly, Mrs Ladi Haruna told NAN in Ikara, the support was helping to put food on the table for her family.“My family used to depend solely on support from neighbours and other wealthy individuals to eat, but the story has changed because with this support I can now afford to buy food for my family,” Haruna said. Also, Mrs Habi Jigo, a widow and a mother of six, told NAN that she used the money to pay school fees for her children who were still in school.“Not only that, but I also use the stipends to buy farm inputs, particularly fertilizer for subsistence farming during farming season and make groundnuts cake during the dry season.“These economic activities, courtesy of the household uplifting support is what is sustaining my family. I can’t thank the Federal Government enough for this life-changing support,” she said.NAN reports that the Federal Government on April 7, commenced the disbursement of over N446.6 million to 22,380 poor households in nine local government areas of the state, under its Conditional Cash Transfer Households Uplifting Programme. Each beneficiary was paid N20,000, being payment for the months of January to April at N5,000 per month.
