Illovo Sugar Malawi reacted quickly to surrounding communities in Chikwawa who are facing devastating impacts due to floods which affected people in the country which was caused by Cyclone Ana.
To address the situation, the company provided donated tents and piped water to the flood victims Refurbished a maize mill to enable communities to continue processing maize for food.
Corporate Affairs Manager for lllovo Zena Makunje said that they set up the continuing supply of potable water to the estate villages and Nchalo trading centre and completed the temporary repair of the Nchalo/Bereu road to allow for easy movement between Nchalo and Chikwawa boma.
Makunje added that the company worked in close cooperation with the Government to repair the Nchalo/Chikwawa road and with ESCOM to restore power
“We also supplying liquidated chlorine to the villages which are inaccessible by water bowsers,” Makunje said.
Given the situation and the vulnerability of the surrounding communities, Illovo has pledged to continue to monitor closely developments in order to detect any outbreak of waterborne diseases and to react quickly in case of such eventualities.
“It goes without saying we remain in close contact with all of the traditional and other leaders in the Nchalo District and will continue to work directly with them, their structures, as well as locally bring relief to this region,” Makunje said.
Cyclone Ana hit the Lower Shire last month, bringing severe hardships to the many thousands of local inhabitants.
According to Illovo, the assessment at the current stage is that several of their sugarcane fields, irrigation infrastructure, dykes, estate roads, a number of staff houses and other non-irrigation infrastructure have suffered severe damage.
However, the factory and warehouse together with the sugar that was in storage, has not been affected.
