By: Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, January 16, Mana: All Africa Conference Sister to Sister (AAC:SS) a network within the Catholic Church has called for collaborated efforts in providing support to the Cyclone Freddy survivors so that they start living their normal life.

Network’s Senior Programme Officer Sister Eneless Chimbali from the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SBVM) made the call Monday, in Lilongwe during a four-day advocacy training whose aim was to equip participants with advocacy skills in engaging government and other stakeholders towards reducing the plight of the survivors.

Chimbali said it is sad to see many people who were affected by Cyclone Freddy are still having challenges to find basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing for their families.

She also noted that many houses, roads, classroom blocks and bridges that were destroyed by Cyclone Freddy are still not maintained in some parts of Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Phalombe and Chikwawa making movements of people from one place to the other difficult.

“We want to appeal to the government, NGOs and well-wishers to continue assisting these survivors. As sisters, we feel bad when we see these people coming to our houses, schools and hospitals asking for help and it becomes difficult to assist all of them,” she said

On her part, Chairperson for Association of Women in the Religious Institution of Malawi (AWRIM) Sister Agness Jonas said the association has been assisting the survivors with food stuff, clothing, kitchen utensils, building materials and psychological.

Said Jonas: “Human dignity is a very important aspect of our lives. We are all created by God and in His own image. Therefore, we are born with dignity, we should live and die with dignity.

“This can only happen if we truly love and care for each other, the way we love and care for ourselves (Matt: 22 vs 37-39),”

All Africa Conference Sister to Sister (AAC:SS) is a network within the Catholic Church and  consists of six countries in Africa, namely: Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Recently, Government through the Tigwiranemanja Initiative which was initiated by President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera handed over 45 houses to the survivors of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Phalombe district which were constructed to the tune of K500 million.