“Time is the healer of all necessary evils”, notes Menander, the Greek poet, who lived around 300 BC.
True to Menander’s notion, some people have attested about how with the passing of time, problems they faced in their lives have vanished.
But, it is not the case with Zione Alli, 62, from Chapola Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Namabvi, Mangochi District. Alli is one of the survivors of Cyclone Freddy-induced floods that wreaked havoc in the area in March 2023.
She said she lost her house, livestock [goats, chickens and ducks] and a whole maize field.
“I will never forget this period. It took me back to square one as I lost all my possessions,” she recalled as tears rolled down her sunken cheeks.
She said water from Lungwena River swelled to the brim and burst it’s extreme end made its course to people’s settlements.
“The waters were raging, to make matters worse, it happened in the night.
“This took many of us an unawares, and swept everything we had, save for our lives,” Alli said.
She said the situation rendered the people destitute and they sought refuge at Lungwena Primary School.
“It was an unimaginable and piercing experience,” she recounted.
But, thanks to Mangochi District Council officials and other duty-bearers, for promptly responding to their plight. After being supported, the survivors were relocated to their original places.
Equally left with Cyclone Freddy scars is Emily Thomasi from Chingomanje Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Jalasi in the same district.
Unlike Alli, who lost a house, toilet, livestock and crops, for Thomasi the floods only washed away her green maize field.
“Flooding water from Namangandwe Hill swept all maize gardens in our area. In fact, mine was one of the most affected,” recalled Thomasi.
She said the situation crippled her economic life as she had invested a lot in her maize garden.
“Here we depend on farming. And because of this, during the growing season, we put all our energy in farming, but this year it was terrible,” she lamented.
“I will never forget Cyclone Freddy and its impact. It tormented my life and left my family poor.”
The ordeals experienced by the two, mirror those of many in the affected communities in T/As Namabvi and Jalasi.
People from the two areas have bitter memories about Cyclone Freddy, which, according to the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (Dodma), is probably the worst natural disaster in the country’s history.
According to Dodma, overall, Cyclone Freddy caused at least 507 deaths, with at least 537 people still missing and over 553 000 displaced in more than 540 sites.
Mangochi was among the districts which were heavily affected by the cyclone.
This is, probably, why communities from the two areas, including Alli and Thomasi, are keenly participating in activities that build their resilience against floods and other climate shocks.
Under Climate Smart-Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP), which is being funded by the World Bank through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC), the communities have vowed to do anything that can turn around their misfortunes.
They say they are tired of poverty induced by floods, and they want to build or strengthen their resilience to climate shocks.
Speaking during a tour of their areas last Saturday to appreciate progress of the programme, one of the participants Marriam John from Issa Village in T/A Namabvi said their aim is to keep floods at bay.
“We are planting vetiver grass, making swales, contour stone bunds and other interventions that mitigate flooding,” John said.
She said they want to reclaim their lost glory of harvesting bumper yields as they believe the interventions will check soil erosion.
“Already, we have started reaping fruits from our sweat as last year many people harvested more than the previous two years,” she said.
John said the programme is helping to improve livelihoods and resilience among poor and vulnerable people.
“Through the same programme, we receive about K48 000 after working for 30 days which we use to support our families. Some of us have invested this money through Banki Mkhonde and we have bought goats and chickens,” she explained.
On his part, James Symon from Group Village Head Nyambi in T/A Jalasi said they are also working towards the same interventions to ensure that the fierce running water from Namangandwe Hill is minimised to protect lives downstream.
“We have been experiencing floods that left many of us homeless. Now, we are making contour stone bunds up here to check flooding downstream,” he said.
Ntiya Extension Planning Area (T/A Jalasi) agriculture development coordinator Frank Masoambeta Banda said he is impressed with the communities’ commitment in restoring and conserving the environment.
“We are satisfied with their participation and how they have joined hands to restore the environment,” he said.
His counterpart, Reshma Allie in Lungwena Extension Planning Area, said the interventions have helped the communities to plant trees and conserve the environment.
“Our hills are no longer bare, we have dressed them up,” she said.
On his part, Mangochi District Council land resources officer Francis Mbirisa, who is also the CS-EPWP desk officer, described the communities’ zeal towards the programme as encouraging.
“We are happy and satisfied with the level of participation by the communities,” he said.
Mbirisa said the programme is a sub-component of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) being implemented in 28 district councils to restore and conserve the environment while also empowering vulnerable communities.
“The project is being implemented in 22 micro-catchments in all the 22 T/As in Mangochi. At the moment about 25 465 participants out of 25 790 the council targeted are benefiting from it,” he said.
Meanwhile, as the scorching heat is at its crescendo stage, Alli and Thomasi have committed to endure the heat by participating in the activities until they build their resilience against floods and other climate shocks.
