A group of families from the City of Zomba has donated assorted items to families that were affected by recent stormy rains and are currently camping at Havala Primary School in the areas of Traditional Authority Mwambo in the district.
The representative of the Zomba City families, Prisca Chirwa said the families saw it fit to donate towards the displaced families after an appeal from Member of Parliament for Zomba Chisi, Mark Botomani who said people from the area were in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
Chirwa added that the families felt that they had an obligation to display humane gesture despite limited resources while, calling on individuals and group of families of goodwill to assist disaster affected families instead of waiting for government and humanitarian agencies’ response.
“Let me appeal for assistance towards those that have nowhere to sleep and those that are in dire need of food,” Chirwa added.
She therefore commended Mr and Mrs Usi, Mr and Mrs Khamai and Lydia Nkolokosa for responding to the call by the Zomba Chisi parliamentarian saying the families responded without reluctance by donating maize flour, soya pieces, tablers of soap and clothes
“Let me also commend fellow families for travelling here at Group Village Head Tchete here at Zomba Chisi to donate to the affected households,” she said, describing the response by fellow families as commendable humane gesture.
In response, Village Civil Protection Committee, Chairperson for Tchete area, John Maliro commended the group of families from the Zomba City saying their particular gesture was a rare display of civic responsibility.
He said it was his wish to see government and humanitarian agencies, public and private sector plus individuals and more families of goodwill come forward to assist the affected families with assorted items ranging from food to shelter materials and other nonfood items.
“The assistance by the families from Zomba City is the first since the disaster occurred in this area,” added Maliro while expressing worry on child education which he said was compromised by the collapse of houses and destruction of property.
He observed that most school going children are still haunted and cannot go to school because they cannot concentrate in class following destruction of their homes and loss of property that led to their homelessness.
“Most of the children cannot go to school because they stay in camps and cannot eat adequately,” Maliro said with further appeal for tents to allow displaced families to return to their respective areas to allow the children to return to school.
One of the recipients of the items, Sheila Watawoni, said she was grateful for the response of the Zomba City families such that she appealed to the city families to continue donating to other equally affected families in the district
This was the first time for the camp dwellers to receive humanitarian assistance, according to Watawoni who further appealed to individuals, families, public and private sector to assist the affected people of Tchete village with kitchen utensils, food, clothes and various non-food items to keep them going while waiting to return to their respective homes.
138 families from Group Village Head Tchete are currently camping at Havala Primary School where they occupy some classrooms to sleep.
