ADRA Malawi, SDA Church responds to flood situation

             By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi and the Seventh –Day Adventist Church have provided relief items to 2,599 flood victims in some of the affected districts of Machinga, Phalombe and Mulanje. 

SDA Church members during relief distribution

The response came after heavy rains and severe flooding mid-January,  left about 200 people dead and more than 135000 displaced in 15 of the 28 districts of Malawi.
The victims, whose houses had collapsed, received safety kits which composed of buckets, plates, pots, cups, mosquito nets, plastic sheets, water treatment chemicals, basins, spoons and blankets.
Before the distribution exercise commenced, the ADRA Malawi Emergency Team verified names of the victims and visited their homes and most of them were found in churches and schools, where they sought shelter after their houses had collapsed.  The distribution operation was jointly done by ADRA Malawi staff and Adventist men, women and youths from local churches.
In Machinga, ADRA Malawi distributed relief items to 450 households in traditional authorities of; Kawinga, Mlomba and Liwonde, with support from Denmark. According to the Disaster Impact Report released earlier by the District Assistant Disaster Risk Management Officer, 29, 651 houses had collapsed in Machinga due to heavy rains and vicious winds. The report further indicated that the victims were desperately in need of food, shelter, plastic sheets and beddings.

ADRA Malawi staff and church members sorting out relief items before distribution

The Disaster Impact Assessment Report for Phalombe indicated that 34, 589 had collapsed, forcing the victims to seek shelter in school and church buildings. ADRA Malawi, with support from ADRA Afro, the Adventist Church, and ADRA International responded to the situation by providing relief items to 340 households in Traditional Authority Jenala in the district.
In Mulanje, the distribution operation was hampered by heavy rains that caused some roads leading to the distributions points to be impassable. A truck carrying relief items got stuck in the mud on

A woman feeling relieved after receiving her share

February 18 for several hours before it was pulled out near Saalam Village, where 123 flood victims were expected to receive relief items. The situation also caused delays in the delivery of relief items to Naluso and Mimosa in the district. In Mulanje, ADRA Malawi has distributed relief items to 1, 809 households with support from Sweden. According to the Preliminary Disaster Report released by the District Commissioner, flooding and heavy winds left 18 people dead and 250 seriously injured. The report further indicated that 12 500 houses had collapsed.
One of the victims, Mili Bilali 78 of Saalam Village sustained a fractured leg after his house fell on him at night and was pulled from the ruble after he shouted for help. Bilali was overwhelmed with joy after receiving relief items and thanked ADRA Malawi and the donors for the timely assistance.
Another victim, Elida Selemani 80 of John Village whose house collapsed while she was sleeping, expressed her joy by dancing before the chanting crowd when she got her share of relief items. “I’m doing this to show you that you have made my day, and I ask God to bless the hands that have made this donation” she said in Chichewa.

ADRA Malawi responds to flood disaster in Phalombe

More than 800 households have been displaced due to flooding in Phalombe, one of the affected districts in Southern Malawi. The tropical rains coupled with heavy winds have also affected more than 400 people in the district who had their roofs blown off and have since sought shelter in church and school buildings.
District officials estimate that about 170 hectares of various crops have either been washed away or submerged in the flooded water.
ADRA Malawi, with support from World Food Program is responding to the disaster by providing food items to 2000 affected people. The food items include; maize, cooking oil, soy blend and pigeon peas. 

Malawi still throbbing in the flooding shock

By Elias Banda
Severe flooding has killed 200 people in Nsanje and Chikwawa, the highly affected districts in the Shire River Basin. According to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, about 135000 people have been displaced when the tropical cyclone Bansi raged, causing heavy rains in the Southern Malawi. The hefty downpours that lasted about 3 days between January 12 and 14, forced the meandering Shire River to break its banks, causing severe flooding.

The  vast Shire Valley

In Chikwawa, 3 people died after the entire village of Mwananjovu was submerged, district officials said.  Meanwhile, 3 people are still missing in the same village. In isolated cases dead bodies have been seen floating in the river.
District officials in Chikwawa estimate that over 10,000 households are displaced and are desperately in need of shelter, food and sanitary facilities.
According to Annie Chilongozi, Principal Administrative Officer at Chikwawa District Council, the district has established 16 safety camps for flood victims. She said some of the victims were sleeping under trees while others sought refuge in church and school buildings.
Meanwhile, ADRA Malawi has already carried out an assessment exercise to ascertain the extent of the damage and the victims’ immediate needs. Claudio Sandoval, ADRA Malawi Country Director who was part of the team that visited Chikwawa, said it was important for the organization to meet partners who were already responding to the disaster and find out about other items that could be needed for the victims.

Damaged maize fields in Chikwawa

Chilongozi told the ADRA Malawi team that there was an acute shortage of tents to accommodate more victims as many people were flocking to the camps for shelter after  their houses had collapsed. She also bemoaned lack of funds for processing maize into flour for the victims.
Environmental Inspector for Chikwawa District Council, Efron Kausi said though sanitary facilities were provided to the camps, lack of transport was a major drawback for his team to monitor and supervise activities at the camps.
Meanwhile, UNICEF and the Malawi  Army have already provided tents to the victims.

ADRA Malawi to continue food aid in Phalombe

By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi has been selected among shortlisted agencies and organizations by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Malawi Government Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) to continue food aid activities in Phalombe District. The project starts in October this year and will wind up in February 2014.

According to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC),  Phalombe is one of the 21 districts of Malawi seriously hit by the hunger situation and it is estimated that between April 2013 and March 2014,  about 1.4 million do not have food. The hunger situation has been aggravated by recurrent dry spells and flooding in the 2012/2013 agriculture season which resulted in low yields.

  Speaking in an interview, Hastings Lacha, ADRA Malawi Emergency and  Relief Coordinator said the program  would be implemented in traditional Authority Nazombe and Nkhumba, targeting 12, 912 households, representing about 71, 016 people.

The project is being funded by UKAID, USAID, WFP and

The DFID and Malawi Government teams addressing beneficiaries in Phalombe last year.

the Malawi Government. Last year between October and March, ADRA Malawi distributed food to over 12 thousand households in Phalombe district under the Emergency Food AID Program (JEFAP) funded by the Malawi Government and the British Department for International Development ( DFID)

Mr Lacha said that under the current program, targeted households would receive a food basket on monthly rotational basis comprising 50kg of cereal, 5 kg of corn soya blend, 2 liters of cooking oil and 10kgs of pulses.

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Mgumera community constructs house for the aged

 By Redson Damalekani
In what appears to be a rare activity, the Mgumera community in Mulanje is constructing a house for an old man, who has been abandoned by his relatives. Moffat Maganga, 99 fell out of grace from his relatives after they suspected him with superstitious acts and witchcraft and has been discarded by the wider community for 11 years. His wife and children died several years ago.
 The degree of misery and poverty as Moffat advances in age triggered community attention, prompting the Mgumera REFLECT circle to table the matter and discuss a lasting solution.  The circle resolved that a house be constructed for Moffat Maganga, whose health status declined due to lack food and other basic necessities and his house was on the verge of collapsing.
The community hatched a plan to mould bricks three months ago and construction of the superstructure has started.  A community member who declined to be named said this was a landmark activity in the village and has not been witnessed for more than 30 years.

Mgumera REFLECT Circle in session

part of Moffat's dilapidated house

A house for Moffat under construction

It is common practice that when people are aged, they are suspected of being involved in witchcraft and many have been abandoned to die while in isolation. However, the Mgumera REFLECT Circle is trying to prove this notion wrong by extending love to the vulnerable and marginalized members of the community including the aged.
The construction of the house brought smiles back on Moffat face as he feels being part of the community. Apart from the house, the circle would support him with food and other basic items.
ADRA Malawi, with support from Denmark has facilitated formation and is empowering seven RELFLECT Circles in Mulanje District.

DFID, Malawi Government applauds ADRA Malawi

By Hastings Lacha and Elias Banda

The British Department for International Development (DIFD) Mission and the Malawi Government have applauded ADRA Malawi   for rolling out food aid efforts in Phalombe District which is under  the Vulnerability Assessment Committee ( MVAC)  targeted food distribution program.

The team addresses beneficiaries

On November 7 this year,  a team comprising DFID, World Food Program (WFP), Malawi Government Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) visited Mileme and Namanjelema in the district where over 12000 households are targeted for the food aid program.

Between March and April this year, the MVAC report indicated that an estimated 1.6 million people in the country needed food assistance for the 2012/2013 consumption period. And in July this year, the World Food Program WFP declared the food situation in the country as serious, prompting the Emergency Food Aid Program JEFAP consortium to step up efforts with the assistance from Malawi Government and DFID for emergency food program in the affected areas. ADRA Malawi belongs to the JEFAP consortium, which was formed in 2002.

The team inspecting the warehouse

Phalombe is one of the districts that hit by the hunger situation among other areas in the Southern Malawi due to recurrent dry spells and floods during the 2011/2012 agriculture season. 

It was against this background that ADRA Malawi began the operations in Phalombe, targeting 12, 760 households who are receiving a food basket each per month. The basket comprises a 50kg of cereal, 5kg of corn soya blend and 10kg of pulses. The project started in October 2012 and ends in March next year.

The team had good time with individual beneficiaries

The delegation that visited Phalombe included Sara Sanyahumbi, DFID Head Malawi Office, Jeffrey Kanyinnji Principal Secretary DODMA, Button Osman Deputy Country Director WFP Malawi and Fumukazi Munthali, Social and Development Advisor (DFID).   

Sarah Sanyahumbi was quoted in the local media (Daily Times) as saying that her organization is closely working with other agencies to ensure that people are food secure in the country.  And Jeffrey kanyinji said in the same media that his department is putting in place long term efforts to cushion vulnerable communities. He cited irrigation and planting of drought resistant crops as some of the measures.

ADRA Malawi donates to Nsanje flood victims

By Elias Banda

ADRA Malawi has donated food items worth K1.5 million ($8, 982) as a response to floods that hit Nsanje District in the lower shire valley.
In January, 448 households in Nsanje were displaced and crops destroyed due to heavy floods,  making people vulnerable to starvation and water borne diseases.
The Nsanje District Commissioner (DC) Rodney Simwaka was quoted in the local press as saying that flooding originated from Shire, Nyamalikombe and Thanguzi rivers, heavily hitting Bangula and Phokela areas where 323 houses were destroyed and 125 other houses partially submerged.
He said people whose houses were damaged sought refuge in classrooms, a situation that affected the education systems as some schools risked being closed.
The DC also disclosed that 550 toilets were washed away, posing a health risk and he called for emergency health facilities to dispel chances of a possible cholera outbreak.
ADRA Malawi joined other none governmental organizations responding to the disaster by donating 3 tones of Likuni Phala (soy flour) and 10,000 kilograms of maize. The donation was done on April 15, 2012  in Traditional Authority Mlolo, one of the affected areas along the Shire East Bank.  
Speaking in an interview, ADRA Finance Director Elijah Menyere said the donation was a direct response to those affected due to flooding.

Harvesting fish in the mainland

On Thursday September 17, 2009, communities from VH Ngandanga, in Phalombe district harvested their fish from their community owned pond, created back in 2007, as part of ADRA’s intervention in the area, through a Food for Assets initiative implemented in partnership with WFP.

They managed to harvest a total of 62.5KGs of which the Community Management Committee agreed to sale at MK400.00/kg which will fetch not less than MK20,000.00. The cash realized will be used, by the Community Committee to support the orphans and vulnerable children and chronically ill within their community.

Although this village is in an area vulnerable to both floods and droughts, the creation of such community diversification and income generating activities empowers communities to become resilient to disasters and be able to support its most vulnerable members.

Other community assets created with ADRA support include: irrigation schemes, poultry production, maize mills, amongst many other.

Author: Hastings Lacha

Towards Food Security

The partnership between ADRA Malawi and WFP dates back to 2001. It was during the 2001/2002 planting season in which Malawi experienced a major drought which forced the government to declare a state of emergency on the national food security. The U N agency WFP together with other NGOs teamed up in order to curb the situation. A total number of twelve NGOs formed a consortium in the name of Joint Emergency Food Aid Program ( JEFAP ) which ADRA Malawi was amongst the membership. Each NGO was assigned its area of operation/ District. WFPs duty was to source the food items and NGOs did the distributions. Since then any national emergency is coordinated by the lead NGO, which is a member of JEFAP consortium in a particular area.

Currently ADRA Malawi as a member of JEFAP consortium is the lead NGO in Phalombe District which is one of the flood prone areas in the southern part of Malawi. ADRA is implementing a WFP funded program in emergency and relief operation. It is a three year program which started in Jan.08 and will finish in Dec.2010.

This program is targeting 5099 beneficiaries.

Under this program there are three components namely, Food For Work, HIV/AIDS and Sustainable Livelihood Interventions.

Food For Work activities targets able bodied households with food insecurity and beneficiaries are asked to create assets for the benefit of the community like fish ponds and irrigation dams, in return they receive a monthly ration of food items. HIV/AIDS activities target households with food insecurity and are keeping chronically ill patients or orphans. On this program beneficiaries receives a monthly ration of food items with no work for it. Unlike in the food for work.

Sustainable Livelihood Intervention (SLI) program targets HIV beneficiaries. They are supplied with small scale livestock like goats and poultry and bakery ovens for IGA as an exit strategy to the HIV program. The out of school orphans are provided with vocational training skills like carpentry, tinsmith and tailoring with start up kits as a capital for their IGAs.

These programs have had a lot of impact on the beneficiaries and community as a whole. It has improved nutrition status in the communities as verified by the nutrition survey recently conducted by MoH in the district. The food distribution has saved 5099 families from hunger and absolute poverty. This means that 25000 people have been provided with daily food rations and saved from hunger. There has been a great reduction on male migration from Phalombe to Mozambique for search of food. Development at community and house hold levels has been enhanced since people’s migration has been reduced and sale of asserts by families has been reduced.

Author: Hastings Lacha - ADRA Malawi Emergency Preparedness and Relief Coordinator

Flood Response

Veronica Kanyenga is a widow aged 61 who comes from the rural area of Mileme village of GVH Chomombo from Traditional Authority Jenala in Phalombe district in the southern part of Malawi. She lives with her daughter whose husband died 3 years ago (2005) and left three children with her, aged 5 years old boy, 7 years old boy, and 8 years old girl.
They all live in one small thatched house built of mud and they depend their living on the crops from their small piece of land, approximately 2 hectares which unfortunately had all their crops washed away by the floods from last year’s (2007-2008) rainy season which left them with nothing to feed on for their daily consumption.

Thanks to WFP/ADRA who came to her rescue with the assistance in form of food aid to those who lost their crops through floods in the area which were caused by Phalombe river. The food basket is in a form of 55kgs cereals and 5kgs pulses on monthly basis per household for a period of six months starting from March 2008 to August 2008.

Asked how long will the monthly ration take to last, Veronica said that the food will only last for two weeks and there after they will supplement with cassava and sweet potatoes till the next distribution. She was also asked how she is going to survive if the food aid comes to an end, Veronica said that together with her daughter they will continue to try hard to find for piece work (Ganyu) from other peoples fields or any other form of work for the survival of the household up to the next harvest season which is in April 2009.

Author: Hastings Lacha