Portland Cement, Habitat to build resilient house for cyclone victims

Portland Cement Malawi Limited in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Malawi will construct 13 disaster-resilient houses in Traditional Authority Njema in Mulanje district to families which were hit by Cyclone Freddy earlier this year.

Speaking on Thursday during the presentation of 760 bags of cement worth K10 million, Portland Cement Malawi Limited chief executive officer Jianguo Liu said the company is committed to giving back to the communities it operates through various corporate social responsibility activities.

He said: “The damage caused by Cyclone Freddy is devastating and it requires collaborated effort from various organisations. Our Company has identified the need for a long-term sustainable solution to assist the most vulnerable victims who had lost not only their homes and property but also their loved ones.

“We sought partnership with Habitat for Humanity with whom we have a shared vision to construct durable housing to see how through our collaborated effort, we can extend our assistance to the most vulnerable.”

Habitat for Humanity Malawi national director, Anock Kapira said the partnership will enable will them to provide secure shelter to those who are currently deprived of disaster-resilient housing.

“We started the recovery process when they were hit by the heavy rains by providing nonfood items and emergency shelter kits and there was a need to come back to permanent support.

“When the heavy rains struck, we initiated the recovery process by offering nonfood items and emergency shelter kits. However, there was a need for long-term support to facilitate a return to permanent stability.

“We call for many corporate partners in the country to join forces with us in an effort to resilience, stability, and self-reliance through shelter,” he said.

On her part, housing officer for Mulanje District Council Lois Kavuta said providing support for housing to the victims will eradicate the housing deficit, yielding a favorable outcome of offering shelter to many Malawians.