The National Government disbursed over 883 million shillings in the last financial year to support poor households taking care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC’s) in the Western Kenya region.

Regional Children Coordinator Duncan Ng’eno said that a total of 36,824 have been enlisted under the Cash Transfer -Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC’s program from region.

He said that the number is likely to grow in the current financial year as more beneficiaries are to be enlisted to the social program.

Speaking to KNA in his office in Kakamega, Ng’eno said the government’s social support program provides regular and predictable cash transfers to caregivers in poor households to ensure retention of OVC’s within families and communities.

‘Government is keen to strengthen the capacity of caregivers’ households to take care of orphans and Vulnerable Children within the community as response in addressing the OVC’s crisis in the country’ he added.

Under the program, enrolled households receive a monthly c
ash payment of 2,000 shillings.

‘We disbursed a total of 883,776,000 shillings to 36,824 households in this region in the 2023/2024 financial year’, Mr. Ng’eno told KNA.

Ng’eno said Kakamega County is leading the pack with the most beneficiaries at 13,242 households, followed by Bungoma which has 9,279 households, while Busia has 8,344 and Vihiga enlisted 5959 households respectively.

The Cash Transfer to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) was launched by the government in 2004 to strengthen the capacity of poor households to protect and care for orphans and vulnerable children to ensure that they receive basic care within families and communities.

Source: Kenya News Agency