In January of 2022, southern Malawi was rocked by Tropical Storm Ana. We worked with AHA Alum Zuwere to collect & deliver donated supplies.
In February 2023, southern Malawi once again faced a devastating storm, Cyclone Freddy. We got back in contact with Zuwere to identify needs.
What we found: transporting items delivered in Lilongwe to those affected by Cyclone Freddy.
Here’s our story:
We adopted two camps located at Makhanga Island (Nsanje North). Mpandeni Camp includes 514 households, while Mtondo Camp includes 689 households. Mpandeni and Mtondo Camps were chosen due to their remoteness and failure to be reached by others. There are no roads, public fare boats, or even an accessible market. These camps are very isolated and are only accessible by relief boats.
After driving for four hours, riding a relief boat for 30 minutes, and sitting on the back of a motorbike for another 45 minutes, AHA’s Program Manager Angela and all the donated supplies arrived at the camp.
NOTE: there are more remote camps than Mpandeni and Mtondo, but they are only accessible by air. They are currently receiving donations & support from larger organizations.
The supplies Angela transported were many: four sacks of soy pieces; three sacks of clothing; two sacks of ufa (used to make the staple food nsima); one sack of shoes; and miscellaneous educational materials, hygiene items, and kitchen supplies.
We weren’t the only ones delivering supplies that day. Our supplies were loaded in a boat on top of ten sacks of WFP (World Food Program) maize, all designated for different camps.
Mpandeni Camp Visit
At Mpandeni Camp we met chiefs, women and children, some primary-school-age students, and a few men, as well as the camp leader. They were staying in temporary shelters made of river grass, tarps, and other materials.
We handed some of the donated clothes directly to the gathered women, who were very happy to find clothes of various types to fit all family members. The shoes were given to the chiefs to distribute directly. We also donated a sack of ufa and two sacks of soy pieces.
We gave National Geographic magazines to teachers and caregivers for reading with the students in small groups, and we added some lollipops for the kids.
Residents of Mpandeni Camp gather to receive the donated supplies.
The community was so grateful for the items, as these were things that had been washed away and not yet replaced.
When we asked individuals which items are currently most needed, the answers always revolved around food, especially ufa, and even soy flour (Likuni phala). The other major request was farming materials so that they can start replanting to gain their independence. While many places are still rain-soaked and unpassable, there are safe areas with moist soil where they can grow new crops throughout the recovery period. Other requests include seeds for sweet potato, maize, and beans and plastic paper for roofs.
AHA’s Program Manager smiles with residents of Mpandeni Camp.
Mtondo Camp Visit
Residents of Mtondo Camp gather to receive the donated supplies.
We met representatives from each household at Mtondo Camp, including men, women, and children, while others were out scouring the receding flood lines for lost items, especially cooking pots, which had floated away during Cyclone Freddy. At the time of our visit, there was only one cooking pot to be shared by as many as six families, so this is a big problem. The bale of ladies’ tops plus hygiene items was handed over to the women, plus books and a few toys to the teachers and caregivers of children. A sack of ufa and two bags of soy pieces were designated for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
We once again asked what materials were most needed, and it was clear everyone, especially the men, who were eager to start replanting. Their major request (apart from food) was kasu (farming hoe) because they had lost all of them in the floodwaters. They also requested sweet potato seedlings, maize/bean seeds, and other farm inputs.
Appeal:
People across Lilongwe continue to collect and donate items, but too often have no way to transport them to people affected by Cyclone Freddy. Please DONATE here so we can purchase fuel to make a second trip and deliver even more supplies to Mpandeni and Mtondo Camps.