Antananarivo — Ralaimoty, 70 years old, has difficulty moving towards the cash box with a piece of wood that he uses as a cane. On this Saturday morning he is at the Alarobia Professional Technical High School near his home in Soavimasoandro, to receive 100,000 ariary (the equivalent of $27) from the government through an unconditional cash transfer program.
The high school was transformed into a vast, cash transfer payment area, where Ralaimoty and his neighbors benefitted from Tosika Fameno, which literally means complementary support. The program was set up by the Malagasy government to help vulnerable citizens in Antananarivo, Toamasina, Moramanga and Fianarantsoa who have been economically affected by the containment measures implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus.) These four major cities had been hard-hit by the virus; since April, as many as 15,187 cases have been confirmed. There have been 198 deaths.
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