Supporting Cyclone Freddy Victims:SOS Children's Villages Malawi's efforts building hope for communities

CHIKWAWA, Malawi-Children's Villages Malawi, a non-governmental organization focused on childcare, is on a mission to assist Cyclone Freddy victims in rural Malawi, writes Sumeya Issa.

The National Director of SOS Children's Villages Malawi, Smart Namagonya, who was present at a relief item distribution exercise on Monday in Ngabu, Chikwawa, says they have noted the severity of the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy in the special catchment areas that they focus on as an organization.

"In unprecedented times like these, we take on the responsibility of responding to emergencies, particularly those affecting children and young people severely," Namagonya said.

"Freddy has impacted the majority of the Shire Valley's communities."

We have noticed that the majority of the families in the catchment areas where we work have been devastated, so we are currently providing emergency relief items to those families so that they can settle down and then recover at a later stage, and hopefully return to normalcy."

SOS Children's Villages Malawi distributed 25.90 metric tonnes of maize grain to targeted families who were severely impacted by the March cyclone during the outreach initiative in Chikwawa.

Namagonya also stated that the victims are currently in need of emergency medical resources such as drugs as well as medical monitoring and assessment due to the high risk of contracting diseases such as cholera and malaria as a result of the flooding.

Eniya Kutulo, a beneficiary from Mwanakakula village in Ngabu, says the SOS Children's Villages Malawi community has been her pillar of hope during the devastation, despite the fact that they are facing major challenges such as a lack of food and shelter.

" We have suffered greatly as a result of the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy. "We are still feeling the effects of the cyclone," Kutulo explained.

"However, I applaud SOS Children's Villages for the numerous efforts and assistance that they are currently providing to us here in Ngabu. We're not sure what we would have done without their help. I personally care for orphaned children, so it's been difficult for me, but seeing this maize and other resources they're providing gives us so much hope."

Michael Nyoni, Programs Director for SOS Children's Villages Malawi in Ngabu, for his part, advised that it is critical to focus on children's needs and care because they are the most vulnerable in the aftermath of natural disasters.

"It is difficult for parents and guardians to focus on their children's needs and welfare during times like these. Families are more concerned with survival than with the immediate needs of their children. This can have a long-term psychological impact on children. As a result, I urge other organisations and stakeholders reaching out to Cyclone Freddy victims to include child-centred programmes and resources," he said.

Nyoni went on to say that as an organisation, they are assisting communities through their family strengthening and child support strategy, which will help ensure that children's needs are met and that they are well cared for.

SOS Children's Villages Malawi revealed that they are targeting 1600 families in their catchment areas in Chikwawa, where efforts are currently underway to capacitate communities with income-generating activities such as farming and vocational labour based on skills and capacity assessments.

According to the organization, it will need approximately a billion kwacha to achieve its 15-month vision of supporting and assisting Cyclone Freddy victims with recovery.