Land Rovers have been saving Malawians who were directly impacted by Cyclone Freddy.
The Malawi Land Rover Defender Club joined hands with citizen initiatives including one led by Thandie Hara (popularly known as Thandie wa Pulimuheya (Plymhair), and the team has delivered relief items to people in hard to reach areas.
Their lifesaving journey started on Monday last week hours after record rainfall induced by Cyclone Freddy hit Blantyre, causing mudslides and floods which killed people and destroyed houses and crops.
With thousands trapped in areas that had become hard to reach, the Land Rover Club stepped in to evacuated people and their property from flood-hit areas such as Chilobwe in Blantyre to camps set up in primary schools across the city.
From evacuation on the first day, the club moved on to mobilization of resources and delivery of humanitarian assistance such as food and clothes to the camps in Blantyre as well as camps in districts such as Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Phalombe and Zomba. They were also transporting medical personnel to and from the camps to assist survivors.
“We ended up and setting up evacuation camps in affected areas, mobilizing resources, delivering resources and empowering evacuation camps to be operational not only in Blantyre, but also Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Phalombe and Zomba,” the club wrote on its Facebook.
Yesterday, March 20, marked the 8th day since the club responded to the impact of Cyclone Freddy and according to the club, it has ended the 24/7 service and will now only be available during the weekends.
The club in its statement on Facebook has since thanked their families, different employers, businesses for allowing members of the club time off to serve Malawians.
“We are thankful to all partners that joined hands with us without which our service wouldn’t have been possible, those who took care of logistics like fuel, the mechanics, the medical personnel, the corporate world, the social media, Malawians of good will who entrusted us with their clothes, food, medicines to give to the ones who needed them most,” reads part of the statement.
On social media, Malawians have heaped praised on the club for rising up to the occasion and supporting thousands of people at a time of need. Many believe that lives of some Malawians have been saved because of the intervention of the Land Rover Defender Club
“The greatest sacrifice I have seen in this month. Thank you Defender Club. God bless you,” one person said.
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