Luanda – State Minister for Social Affairs Carolina Cerqueira and the regional director of the World Bank (WB), Jean-Christophe Carret, Monday in Luanda reviewed the implementation and benefits of social programmes for vulnerable families in Angola.
Carolina Cerqueira and Jean-Christophe Carret reviewed issues related to the implementation level of the programmes, with stress to the strengthening of “Kwenda” Social Protection and the programmes linked to the education and health fields.
Kwenda programme has been created by the Angolan Executive to support for the most vulnerable families.
The initiative foresees to assist 1.6 million families across the country.
Many families from the provinces of Zaire, Malanje, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Bengo, Huíla and Cunene, have already benefitted from the programme.
Estimated at USD 420 million, the programme is co-funded by the World Bank (WB), which contributed with USD320 million, while the Angolan Government disbursed USD100 million.
The project covers Productive Inclusion which support viable economic initiatives, the Municipal of Social Action, the Integrated Social Action Centers (CASI), and the reinforcement of the Single Social Registry.
Carolina Cerqueira praised the Kwenda, stating that the programme presents positive and satisfactory results reflected on the well-being of populations, mainly those in rural communities.
In turn, the regional director of the WB, Jean-Christophe Carret, expressed the institution's availability to identify the new areas for financing projects in the next five years, aimed at improving the social conditions of the population and the country's socioeconomic development.
Jean-Christophe Carret, who is charge of WB in Angola, Burundi, DRC and São Tomé and Príncipe, highlighted the partnership with the Government of Angola, which translates into great achievements for strategic sectors of economic and social development.
He recalled the USD 150 million agreement signed on 16 September between the Angolan Government and the World Bank providing for the purchase of vaccines, as part of the process to halt Covid-19.
The official highlighted Angola's efforts to vaccinate the population aimed to achieve coverage above 50%.
In Angola, the WB has financed several initiatives of the economy and social aspects, such as improving water supply, energy supply, fighting poverty, among others.