In early 2023, Malawi was struck by a tropical Cyclone Freddy. The cyclone lasted five weeks, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, and took over 1000 lives as well as leaving destruction and devastation in its wake.
The Cyclone Freddy Relief Initiative (CFRI) is an AE Malawi intervention that aims to provide relief activities such as relief items, trauma healing and counseling, and rebuilding of houses for victims affected by this disaster.
Macleana’s story
One such victim is Macleana, an elderly lady who sought shelter in the Cyclone Freddy victim Mwangata Camp after her house and its contents were mostly destroyed by running water as a result of the cyclone. With the support of the CFRI and the Mwangata Camp, she is steadily getting back on her feet.
Macleana feels grateful to God for having had her life spared during the disaster, saying “It is only by the grace of God that my bedroom wall did not collapse, I would not have survived the disaster”.
Though she has expressed that life in the camp has not always been easy, she is thankful to have a place to rest her head along with the 200 others who live in the camp alongside her.
The CFRI has been able to provide relief items to Macleana such as soap, flour, oil, sugar, salt and blankets to support her as she gets back on her feet. Macleana shares, “These items mean a lot to us, far beyond what the ordinary eye can see. The depth of our problems in the camp is beyond description but these items have brought great relief to our lives. You have provided a stepping stone for me to get back on my feet as I hope for my house walls to be rebuilt. May God bless African Enterprise for thinking about us, even though it has been a while after the disaster happened”, she says.
Chisomo’s story
Chisomo is only 13 years old, but was also a victim of Cyclone Freddy. Like Macleana, he has received support and assistance from the CFRI in the form of supplies.
Prior to the cyclone, Chisomo had a fairly comfortable life, living with his parents, attending school and eating dinner with his family in the evenings and playing with his friends. For Chisomo, the cyclone took more than just his house – both his parents were also killed in flood waters.
“Cyclone Freddy robbed me of both my parents in one night. It all happened very quickly, one moment we were trying to keep water out of the house and the next moment we had no house. Amidst the confusion and running water, I lost sight of my parents and that was the last I saw of them. One lady found me that night and took me to Chikunje Camp where I am currently staying,” he shared.
With the help he has received from CFRI, Chisomo shares a glimmer of hope that he holds in the midst of his tragedy. “I lost two parents that night, but I also survived that same night. The relief items I have received today give me hope that I can still live and grow up to be what my parents had always wanted me to be”.
African Enterprise Malawi is grateful for generous friends and partners that have joined hands to provide relief to Cyclone Freddy victims through CFRI.
Please pray for the victims of this tragedy, especially Macleana and Chisomo as they work to rebuild their lives and manage their grief. Pray they would trust and rely on God during these difficult times.