Households in Malawi receive food relief
[FR]
PHALOMBE, Malawi - 250 households in Phalombe, Malawi received food relief items on 18th July 2023. The office of Africa Anglophone Delegation facilitated the distribution of relief items in Phalombe with the donation from families in St. Louis parish, Missouri, USA where Fr. Thomas POTH, SMM grew up.
Phalombe is one of the 12 heavily hit districts in Malawi by cyclone Freddy. Heavy waters gushing forth from Michesi and Mulanje mountains washed away houses, roads and bridges, crops and livestock, farm fields and irrigation infrastructure set for the district. Many people lost their lives. The survivors of the disaster have recently moved out of the camps but with no basic needs such as food, shelter, and farm inputs for the next planting season. Each family received a 50kg bag of maize.
In an interview with Montfort Communications, Mrs. Mercy William, a mother of three, expressed her gratitude for the donation.
“We did not have food. We lost everything. Even the little support we received was finished. Many babies and children of most families here present rarely get some food to eat. You see that child crying continuously! – where do we get food or milk! We are therefore more than happy and grateful for this donation from the relatives of Fr. Thom and may God continue to bless them so that they can help us and others in dire need,” she said with a smile of hope.
The Superior Delegate, Fr. Lonely Paul MASHONGA, SMM, extended his gratitude for the donation in his speech captured by Luntha Television on the material day.
“At this time, I would like to thank you, the families from St. Louis parish in Missouri through Fr. Thom, for reaching out and supporting us especially these families in Phalombe affected by cyclone Freddy. You have come to our rescue,” he said as hundreds of people made a round of applause.
Fr. Lonely Paul added that following the appeal for support, the delegation received donation from confreres in Holland, Germany and America and reached out victims of Cyclone Freddy namely: over 300 households in Bvumbwe parish, Blantyre archdiocese; families in Stima parish in Zomba diocese; over 200 households at Namiasi in Mangochi diocese.
Malawi is at a snail’s pace beginning to recover from the most recent tragedy. Affected communities are taking initiatives to restore their livelihoods. Cyclone Freddy’s impacts, however, continue to be felt by communities as hunger and famine continue to bite. There is an urgent need for farm input materials as planting season is at hand; safe and clean drinking water through boreholes, sanitation, and hygiene items; food and livelihood assistance.
Montfort Communications
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