Social safety nets - World Bank MDTF The Government of Malawi`s core safety net programmes are targeting all 28 districts, but only reaches 10% of the poorest population.  This multi-donor trust fund will provide additional financing into their core programmes, strengthen and enhance these. The MDTF will serve as a mechanism for pooling development partners` funding for the Malawi social cash transfer programme (SCTP) and bring under one single instrument the current separate arrangements for funding different districts under different funding modalities and arrangements. The project is structured to co-finance and scale up existing components and activities in line with the Government of Malawi`s strategic vision for an integrated social protection program. This includes redefining safety net program`s coverage thresholds, making changes to beneficiary targeting approaches, strengthening harmonized delivery systems, and redefining adequacy of safety net benefit levels and complementary shock-responsive approaches. The programme seeks to address land degradation, biodiversity loss and impacts of climate change through interventions such as land conservation, afforestation, natural regeneration and promotion of sustainable livelihoods in selected catchment areas.

The beneficiaries are the ultra-poor and labour-constrained households, and the ultra-poor with labour availability. The project paper talks about scaling up regular SCTP from 123 000 to 258 000 HH. For emergency cash-transfers the total target is 300 000 HH in rural areas and 105 000 HH in urban areas. 

With the fluidity of the MDTF, these numbers are expected to be reviewed in May 2024 during the midterm review to incorporate the additional support and how that impacts the results framework/deliverables.