As part of its nationwide Ramadan drive targeting 100,000 vulnerable families, the Faizan Global Relief Foundation (FGRF), has brought relief to 4,000 households battling severe hunger in Thyolo Thava Constituency.
The initiative, which kicked off in Nsanje, where thousands of families received food packs containing maize flour, rice, sugar, cooking oil, salt, and soya pieces, targets 100,000 vulnerable households across the country, aiming to ease hunger during the fasting month and restore dignity to communities battered by disasters and poor harvests.
On Sunday, the foundation continued the exercise in Thyolo Thava Constituency, where 4,000 households have benefited from the Ramadan packs to support Iftar and Sehri meals.
Member of Parliament for the area and Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Mary Navicha, who presided over the ceremony, described the hunger situation in the constituency as dire.
“The hunger situation here in Thyolo Thava is dire. People are struggling to get food. Some of the factors that have contributed to this hunger are Cyclone Anna and Cyclone Freddy. This area is prone to cyclones and all these disasters have put us in this situation,” she said.
Navicha said nearly 60 percent of households in the area currently have no reliable food supply, despite government interventions through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
“That is why, as a Member of Parliament, I thought it was important to knock on the doors of FGRF to ask for food assistance. They responded positively to my request. This help has come at the right time when people are going to bed on empty stomachs,” she said.
However, she emphasized that while the food packs will provide temporary relief, long-term solutions are needed.
“The food we are receiving today is enough for three days or a week depending on the family size. But we are also working on resilience building through winter cropping. Through CDF, I am distributing cassava and potato vines so that our people can sustain themselves,” Navicha added.
FGRF Communications Officer Ibrahim Mataya said the organisation’s intervention is rooted in the Islamic principle of charity, especially during Ramadan.
“As Muslims, we strongly believe in giving charity and helping one another, especially in the month of Ramadan. We are here distributing to 4,000 households so they can have food for Iftar and Sehri. When we give during Ramadan, we believe it is more fruitful,” Mataya said.
He noted that FGRF has been active in responding to previous disasters in Malawi and will continue supporting communities beyond the fasting month.
“We were among the first responders during Cyclone Anna and Cyclone Freddy. After Ramadan, we will have an Eid program. When it is time for planting, we will come with hybrid seeds. When it gets cold, we will distribute blankets. That is how we work,” he explained.
One of the beneficiaries, 84-year-old James Makhuwira, expressed gratitude for the timely assistance. “This food pack will help me. I have been struggling and sometimes sleeping without food,” he said.
