Group gives cyclone survivors hope

Malayali Association Malawi has asked Tropical Cyclone Freddy survivors in Manje Township in Blantyre to stay strong amid their present predicament. 

Speaking on Saturday during the donation of K9 million worth of relief items to 350 survivors, Malayali Association Blantyre Chapter chairperson Deepu Hari said hope was important for the survivors to keep them going forward.

“In times like these when people have lost everything, they fall into despair. Therefore, we want to encourage them that God is with them and that they will go through this situation,” he said.

Hari said they donated the items after their assessment which showed that people of Macheso Village in the area were also affected by the cyclone.

“We mobilised money and resources among ourselves to reach out to the survivors with help. We hope the donation will make a difference,” he said.

Hari said the group has been supporting vulnerable people in the country for the past 20 years.

He said: “We have supported children in care centres, supplied furniture and built toilets for schools as well as donating medical equipment to hospitals.”

Village head Macheso commended the group for the donation, saying it will lessen people’s suffering.

“People lost everything during the disaster. It is still difficult to get food and other necessities. We, therefore, appeal to other well-wishers to help these people,” he said. 

One of the survivors, Esnart Kavalo, said it will take time to recover from the disaster.

“The floods destroyed my shop and now I have no capital to start business again,” she said.

The donated items included clothes, cups, plates, blankets, water guard, cooking oil, salt and soya pieces.

The group also donated learning materials to 100 children.

Malayali Association is a non-profit organisation comprising people from Kerala State in India.