2023 has been a difficult year for Malawians with the latest setbacks being the devaluation of the currency by 44% in November and the warning from FEWS (Early Famine Warning System) that, owing to the adverse effects of the El Nino phenomenon, Malawi will be among the countries of Southern Africa likely to face food shortages, drought and crop failure from late 2023 through to 2025.
Here in Konzalendo we are receiving requests for assistance from the local people, who are experiencing food shortages and looming crop failures because of the shortage of rain. In late November the temperatures are still regularly reaching the high 30’s and the amount of rain to date has been very little. Some people have already tilled their ground and planted maize but unless the rains arrive there is a real danger that their crops will fail. Furthermore following the devaluation of the currency the cost of fertilizer rocketed and many people were left unable to buy what they need for their fields.
Following Cyclone Freddy, we were still assisting people in nearby villages to rebuild their houses, up until late October and there are many people still awaiting help. The Government and the Red Cross also assisted some of the families. We concentrated on providing plastic roofing sheets for seventy-six families with thatched houses in four areas Merekafu- Mphaso, Village Daniel, Khazuwa and Ndayandika and some individuals in other areas.
We helped thirteen individuals whose houses were severely affected with bags of cement iron roofing sheets, and nails. The cost of this help was very high and we are very grateful to the donors who contributed funding to enable this, particularly the organiser of the GoFundMe page in Arizona which raised MKw2,490,725. 00.
We gave a different type of help to twenty-four families In Chalonda Village, Mitembo. There we organised a training in making Mbeya fertilizer, purchasing the necessary starting pack and also providing seeds to the participants for planting in irrigation fed farms. A participant reported that the yield of the farms was excellent and we hope it will encourage them to continue to use Mbeya fertilizer as it will save them money.
Other projects continued and we provided twenty-two new desks to Konzalendo Primary School in June as well as providing clean water in three villages in May and June. The people of Namakhuwa, Nankondhiwa and Katuli were the grateful recipients thanks to a generous donation from Liam and Paula Christian in Ireland.
