Nsanje communities hail disaster interventions

Community members in Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje have commended Development Aid from People to People (Dapp) for empowering them to implement interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Sam Chapepa, 45, from Zuze Village, said the organisation taught them to construct check dams, deep trenches and plant vetiver grass to control run-off water.

“Our area is prone to floods. We are pleased to implement the interventions to contain the floods,” he said.

Dapp project officer Nthamiwe Mwasongwe said they trained communities to use local resources to reduce disaster risks.

She said: “Our understanding is that building resilient communities is a question of empowering communities to shape their lives and create a safe, healthy and prosperous future.

“We trained 800 people from 18 villages to construct deep trenches, check dams and plant vetiver grass.”

Group village head Tizora commended Dapp for implementing the interventions in his area.

He said Maera River used to overflow every season, washing away their crops and destroying people’s homes.

“But in 2022, Dapp engaged people to remove sand from the river and this year, it has not flooded,” he said.

Dapp is implementing a Humanitarian Action Project with funding from Humana Spain.