As heavy rain continues to fall, the situation continues to develop. It’s still too early to say what the scale of the disaster is – but it is a disaster! The death toll from Cyclone Freddy Malawi has already exceeded 100, and some people have been in touch to ask what they can do as part of the relief effort.
Right now, there is little we can do, apart from offer shelter to those who are displaced from their homes. The development project at Saidi is still at a very early stage, but we can accommodate people in the msasa and the block-making shed. The team has already begun to buy plastic sheeting for distribution to people who need to make temporary repairs to their homes.
However, there will be great need in coming months.
Apart from temporary shelter, experience tells us the immediate need will be food. Prior to the cyclone, maize was already 3 times more expensive than it was just over a year ago – and this will make that much worse. Our reserve is already seriously depleted, having not recovered from the relief effort last year. We invested in some farm land to grow our own, but this is not yet ready to harvest -and may be adversely affected by this weather!
Once the rain stops, there will be need to help people rebuild. For some that may mean a few bags of cement, for others, help with replacing iron sheets for their roof, and for others, especially widows, it may mean a complete rebuild.
Your financial help will be greatly appreciated.
