PACE aids Cyclone Freddy flood victims, bringing hope amidst devastation

Malawi-"My village has been heavily affected, our houses, crops, and utensils have all washed away. I lost everything in the floods," cries Mary Evasi, a mother from Mwanawa Village under Traditional Authority Chiwalo in Phalombe who had been hit hard by the devastating floods that had ravaged the southern part of Malawi following Cyclone Freddy, writes Blair Mhone.

"Here we rely on rice farming as a cash crop, and it's all gone. I don't know how we will survive."

Mary Evasi's cries echo the sentiments of countless other flood victims in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy who are struggling to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

The floods destroyed homes, roads, and crops, leaving hundreds dead, thousands injured, and thousands of families with nothing.

But amidst the despair and devastation, there is a glimmer of hope.

Help has been pouring in, in the form of generous donations from various companies, individuals, and international and local organizations in addition to government efforts under the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA).

One organization that has stepped up to assist is PACE for Social Change, a youth-led organization based in the northern city of Mzuzu which has solicited assistance from different partners to aid in the relief effort, particularly for Phalombe flood victims.

Mary Evasi and her fellow villagers can afford a smile as for the first time since the floods, they felt a spark of hope in their hearts that maybe they would be able to rebuild their homes and their lives after all.

"We are grateful for the donation we have received today from PACE because it has come at the right time when we needed the items the most." said Mary Evasi, "But we are also in need of other items especially building materials so that we can start rebuilding our permanent homes or rebuild our lives altogether."

Village Headman Mwanawawa who was also appreciative of the donation said he has never seen the kind of devastation experienced this year due to Cyclone Freddy.

"I have never seen anything like this my entire life. This disaster has rendered my village and my people in a dire state.

All their crops are gone, houses gone, everything. The situation is very bad here at the moment.

"And for an organization like this to come from Mzuzu to assist us has renewed our hope in humanity that we are not alone in this disaster," said Village Headman Mwanawawa.

Executive Director for PACE Gibson Chisale says his organization wasted no time in taking part in the cause having seen the suffering people have been subjected to following the disaster.

"We were moved by the suffering that Cyclone Freddy brought upon our fellow Malawians in the southern region. So as an organization we wanted to render a helping hand and with support from our partners Ubuntu Global Network, we're able to realize our goal of reaching out to these families,” said Chisale.

"We have also noticed the impact of suffering firsthand. We have seen how road networks have been decimated, power lines cut off, crops and houses washed away, and there is a lot of suffering."

Chisale also added that being a youth-led organization, the disaster has affected many youths with schools and education, in general being disrupted in the affected districts.

"As a youth organization, we also noticed that schools have been heavily affected with education completely disrupted. We have also seen how students from Phalombe who are schooling in some parts of the country like Mzuzu now failing to go back home or do not know what they will find when they reach their homes after the cyclone," he added.

Chisale also emphasized the crucial role of youth in times of crisis, stating, "We saw many young people risking their lives to save the most vulnerable while the floods were still happening. We have many testimonies of young people performing heroic acts during this period, which highlights the need for the youth to be given more responsibilities on matters of national interest."

In partnership with well-wishers, including Ubuntu Global Network, PACE for Social Change provided much-needed assistance to the victims of Cyclone Freddy in Phalombe.

The donation included assorted clothes, basic foods, household items, school materials, and plastic papers, aiming to alleviate the suffering and help those affected to rebuild their lives.