Malawi is extremely vulnerable to climate change related events due to:
Our humanitarian work aims of supporting the efforts of the Government and affected communities to ensure that the lives, dignity and well-being of those affected by the disaster are protected; and addressing the needs of affected communities that have been identified through consultations with the government and the affected community and in coordination with other humanitarian actors.
Our humanitarian response includes both immediate life-saving assistance to the affected people, through a Phase 1; and early recovery actions in a Phase 2, as they must begin as soon as possible along with humanitarian efforts, to ensure self-sustained and resilience-building processes in the aftermath.
Imagine you are in a family of eleven members, but you sleep with other boys of your age at a nearby distance as per you custom and culture. Then one morning you find yourself at a hospital admitted with various degrees of wounds, and on the same time you are told that you have lost nine members of your family on a tragedy incident.
This is true with Witness and Robert Kapichi from Mtauchira Village under Traditional Authority Likoswe in Chiradzulu District who experienced this horror.
Witness is a seventeen-year-old boy and a standard six learner at Chanza Primary School in the area. His brother Robert is fifteen and happens to be in the same class and school. They have not yet reached adulthood but they have already assumed the role of parenthood due to circumstances. Both of their parents, siblings and everything went away by Cyclone Freddy. Their future depends on well-wishers.
“It was in the early morning of Tuesday 14th March 2023, I went out to pee so that I can relieve myself. Quickly after answering the call of nature, I went back in our small boy’s quarter where I used to sleep with my peers. Few minutes later, I heard a strange noise as if a vehicle was loaded with heavy goods. The moment I set my foot on the door step, I realised that I was already in deep waters which swept me through a distance moments before hanged on shrubs.”
“The next morning I woke up from my nightmare only to realise that I was admitted at a nearby Catholic Hospital. I saw people with severe wounds and extreme injuries. I was told that almost my entire village had been swept by mudslides and many including my parents and siblings were gone as they found some of their body parts. I cried thinking of my future and that of my only surviving brother,” Witnessed lamented.
Currently, DAPP Malawi has shouldered the burden of the boys by committing to assist them in terms of recovery and two boys so far have received a cheque worthy one million Kwacha for the recovery plan. The money was deposited into their account that the organisation opened for them and any transaction will be made with the help of their surviving uncle.
During year 2023 our focus was on addressing post-disaster recovery and disaster preparedness in vulnerable communities by working with 800 smallholder farmers (60% women, 40% men), including female-headed households, the elderly, and people with disabilities, from TA Mbenje, GVH Mnembe, and Tizola in Nsanje district. We emphasized on afforestation, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure resilience. Local communities were involved in tree planting initiatives to promote agroforestry and natural reforestation. Protective barriers and community-based disaster trainings were carried out to mitigate risks. Our other activities included forming 32 farmers’ clubs and revamping 32 Village Savings and Loan groups. Three core results were achieved: Improved food security through crop and livestock recovery, strengthened disaster management capacity, and enhanced disaster risk reduction strategies among vulnerable rural communities
In March 2023, Tropical Cyclone Freddy brought torrential rains to southern Malawi, causing floods and mudslides across 14 districts. The hardest hit areas – including Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Mulanje, and Blantyre – saw homes destroyed, farmland submerged, and vital infrastructure damaged. Thousands of families were displaced, losing access to shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education.
This PDF outlines our response to Cyclone Freddy, carried out together with our partners. You can download it here.
