Keith Foulds, Diocesan Treasurer, reports on how we have been able to help people in Malawi after the cyclone devasted their villages.
REPORT ON FLOOD RELIEF EXERCISE
The Anglican Council in Malawi embarked on a flood relief and recovery exercise in 3 parishes most severely affected by the cyclone. The exercise was conducted with financial support from MACS, Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD), United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), Diocese of Birmingham and The Mothers Union from the Diocese of St. Edmundsbury & Ipswich.
Items were purchased according to the requests of the beneficiaries depending on their needs. Particular focus was on food items for the present and farm inputs for the longer term. Most of the beneficiaries were selected based on their willingness and ability to do winter farming using the residual moisture in the soil and their proximity to a water source such as a river or lake. Other beneficiaries were selected based on how severely they were affected with a particular focus on female headed households, child headed households, the disabled, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
Three parishes chosen were the worst affected by the cyclone. Relief items were purchased and distributed as follows:
- Items bought for one parish included maize seed, fertilizer, pesticides and sprayers, watering cans and water pumps for irrigation. The water pumps and sprayers will be safely stored at the parish office when they are not in use and their use will be administered by the PCC. 30 families benefited.
- The second parish was heavily affected and the main need was food: maize, beans, soya pieces, likuni phala (fortified maize flour), cooking oil and other basic day-to-day essentials such as plastic buckets. 150 families were assisted.
- In the third parish, families requested farm inputs. Maize seed and fertilizer were purchased for them. But also maize, cooking oil, soya pieces and other basic day-to-day essentials. In total, 50 families were assisted.
The photographs show just what our assistance meant for those who suffered so badly. The final two photos were taken 3 and 5 months later. The crop is ready for harvesting and will, not only provide food for the village, but also enable them to earn money by selling the excess in order to provide other family essentials.
You can see the obvious delight on the faces of recipients and it is good to know that our financial support has been so wisely used.
