The Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) on Friday handed over a Community Based Child Care Center (CBCC) and a pay toilet to communities in Chikwawa district under its Community Resilient (COMREP) project being implemented in the district.
Speaking after handing over Mwayiwathu CBCC in the area of Senior Chief Chapananga and Ngabu conjunction Market pay-in toilet in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu respectively, MRCS president Innocent Majiya said construction of the two infrastructures is a demonstration of the organization’s commitment in ensuring that communities which are prone to effects of climate change such as floods and natural disasters are becoming resilient.
Majiya also added that the two infrastructures are in line with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) 3 of promoting quality health and education for sustainable social- economic development for the nation.
He, therefore, called on strong ownership of the infrastructure projects among the communities in order to ensure its sustainability.
“As Malawi Red Cross we have been implementing the first phase of a Community Resilient Program here in Chikwawa alongside other districts of Mwanza and Mangochi. The project had the components of health, education, disaster management among others. The idea behind is that communities in the target districts becomes increasingly resilient.
“So to day we have handed over these two infrastructures as one way of showing our commitment to accompany the communities in these areas on their way to resilience by making sure that the impact of our project is properly sustained through these infrastructures,” said Majiya.
Parliamentarian for Chikwawa West Susan Dosi in whose area Red Cross has constructed a CBCC said the area had no modern infrastructures to be used as CBCC a development which she said greatly compromised kindergarten education standards as majority of them have been dropping out once they reach primary level.
Chairperson for Ngabu conjunction Market Austin Bvumbe said the absence of a modern toilet at the market greatly compromised hygiene standards in the area hence he hailed Red Cross for the construction of a modern toilet at the market.
MRCS has been a implementing the first phase of COMREP project in the districts of Chikwawa, Mangochi and Mwanza with funding from Danish, Finnish, Icelandic and Italian Red Cross.
