To reduce extreme poverty, the Government of Tanzania introduced the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) based on integrated interventions including a labour-intensive public works and cash transfers programme targeting the poorest households.
The objective of the PSSN, which is implemented by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), is to increase income and consumption, improve the ability to cope with shocks among vulnerable populations, and enhance and protect the human capital of their children.
In 2013, the Government of Tanzania scaled up the PSSN to cover one million households in extreme poverty, and by 2015 the programme was delivering cash transfers to over 1 million households across the country.
Through a project funded by the Government of Canada, WFP supported the expansion of PSSN II into urban areas by providing budget support and conducting in-depth assessments on urban vulnerabilities targeted for unconditional cash transfers. This assistance was designed to address the food security needs of populations affected by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
