Oxfam says it is happy with the response to the cyclone Idai which hit the country early this year and left over 50 people dead.
Country director for Oxfam Malawi, Lingalireni Mihowa, said this after touring some of the activities which are being carried out in Phalombe district reaching over 20,000 households. 
Mihowa said many of the affected people are now able to grow their own food which is very important in as far as food security is concerned.
“We came here to actually appreciate the cyclone Idai response which has gone to early recovery so we are happy with what has happened here. We are happy that we have been supporting pillar on emergence food security.
“We are supporting the communities with irrigation schemes as we feel that is a sustainable way after closing this cyclone Idai response,” she said.
The Oxfam team among others toured irrigation schemes such as of 12 hectares-Ulesi Siupindula scheme which 78 people are benefiting from and Makande Scheme which over 131 people are also benefiting.
Farmers around these schemes have thanked Oxfam for their support saying their lives are no longer the same as they were soon after the cyclone happened.
However, they have asked Oxfam and other well-wishers to help them with water pumps so that they should be cultivating on the larger place.
“We are benefiting much from these schemes as you can see. However, we are lacking water pumps here, we want to be covering the large area so that we should maximise our yields,” said Luka Machapa one of the farmers at Ulesi Siupindula scheme.
In her response, the country director said Oxfam is looking into that plea and will soon have a solution to what people are asking.
They also inspected a new borehole in Bona Village which is one of the five that have been drilled in the area of traditional authority Jenala. The borehole is supplying water to about 80 households which were previously fetching water from a river according to the village chief.
At the end, the team went to Malambwe area where construction of 1000 Sanplat slabs meant for 1000 households is being done and later distributed menstrual hygiene materials to girls who have reached puberty stage at Malambwe Primary School.
