GITEGA December 8th (ABP) – The coordination of the Merankabandi project organized on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 in Gitega (center of the country), a provincial information and consultation workshop, with the stakeholders of the social safety nets support project. Productive and Employment Merankabandi II, which will be implemented nationwide until December 31, 2026, unlike the first phase.
The coordinator of that project Mr. Michel Nyabenda indicated that this project aims to strengthen management capacity, scale up social safety net programs and promote productive inclusion and access to employment to 145,000 households nationwide with funding of US$150 million.
Mr. Nyabenda also pointed out that the support project for productive social safety nets and jobs – Cash for jobs, will be implemented in 119 communes of the country and on 2663 hills with the exception of those which benefited from the first phase of that project.
According to him, the project will provide cash transfers to 100,000 poorer households, when scaling up cash transfers and that it will support 25,000 urban households economically affected by covid-19 in urban centers of the region of Bujumbura city, Gatumba, Gitega, Rumonge, Kayanza and Ngozi as well as 20,000 households of refugees and the host community and other categories.
The coordinator of the Merankabandi II project also warned all the beneficiary households of the project who will not be able to properly use the support they will receive as desired. He also pointed out that they will be excluded from the list of beneficiaries and that they will be immediately replaced by others, because, he said, this project will provide beneficiaries with comprehensive support consisting of training sessions, coaching and of start-up capital enabling them to launch their income-generating economic activity.
Speaking, the governor of Gitega province Mr. Venant Manirambona praised the contribution of the Merankabandi project in promoting the lives of vulnerable people. Mr. Manirambona, for this purpose, asked the coordination committee of the said project, to be able to review the list of beneficiaries to reduce a large gap of beneficiaries which is observed between the hills, because according to him, that can cause misunderstandings between the people of those villages.
The Governor of Gitega also asked the beneficiaries to properly use the funds they will receive in order to develop well and contribute well to the development of their environment.