In the quiet village of Hinjali in Zambia’s Southern Province, 45-year-old Destiny Hachoobe has turned every Kwacha of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme into an engine of resilience, dignity, and long-term progress. A widowed mother of seven, Destiny could easily have been pushed into deeper vulnerability after losing her husband in 2012. Instead, she chose a different path—one shaped by determination and resourcefulness.
Destiny enrolled in the SCT programme in 2014, starting with a modest ZMW 400 received every two months. From the beginning, she refused to view the support as a mere hand-out. She treated each transfer as seed capital—money with purpose. When the government increased
the transfer amount to ZMW 800 in 2019 to help households cope with the impacts of drought, Destiny seized the opportunity to grow her efforts.
She joined a village banking group and quickly became one of its most active contributors. With deliberate discipline, she reinvested 20 percent of her savings back into the group both expanding her own financial base and strengthening the safety net for other vulnerable members in her community.
“Every Kwacha has its job,” she says proudly. And indeed, the impact is visible in her homestead.
Destiny now bulk-buys maize from the Food Reserve Agency, grinding it into mealie meal and samp to ensure consistent meals for her children.
Her careful saving also enabled her to replace her old thatched roof with durable iron sheets, providing her family with a dry and secure home during the rainy season.
Her vision extends beyond daily needs. Destiny has invested in a small herd of goats—her “living savings.” This livestock not only grows in value but also serves as her long-term exit strategy: if cash transfers were to stop, she can sell a goat to sustain her family. That foresight is already paying off. Her eldest son, Daliso, is now attending college, supported by her savings, while the younger children benefit from the Government of Zambia’s Free Education Policy. With tuition worries lifted, Destiny channels resources toward school supplies, ensuring her children have the stability and opportunities she once feared they might lose.
Destiny’s story reflects the transformative impact of the GRZ–United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection (UNJPSP II). Through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and with funding from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland the programme delivers more than financial support. It restores hope, strengthens dignity, and empowers people to shape their own futures.
Today, Destiny is not just a participant in the SCT programme; she is the chairperson of her village banking group. She has become a leader, a role model, and a living example of how strategic investment and social protection can break the cycle of poverty—one deliberate choice at a time.
