By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, November 15, Mana: First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera has through her office in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs donated food relief items to people who were affected by water disaster due to heavy rain that hit Nkhotakota early 2024.

Speaking in an interview during the distribution, Chief Advisor to the First Lady, Michael Mkandawire said they have donated 40 tonnes of maize flour and 5 tonnes of beans that will help almost 1800 people affected.

"This is not the first time for Madam Chakwera to help, she has been helping people of different backgrounds to ensure food security in the country,” said Mkandawire.

Mkandawire insists that Madam Chakwera intends to have food-sufficient households, adding that such households can participate in the development of their areas.

Nkhotakota District Commissioner Ben Matengeni Tonho thanked the First Lady for the support and emphasized that all households they targeted will benefit from the donation.

He stated that they have done a lot of agriculture sensitization about disasters in preparing people for water disasters that are prone in the district.

Member of Parliament for Nkhotakota North East Overton Kondowe asked other stakeholders to help with agriculture equipment for the community to be vibrant.

"Community has to be empowered through agriculture inputs such as fertilizer and seeds that can help them to harvest their own so that they should not be relying upon relief items," said Kondowe.

One of the beneficiaries from Msenjere Aida Banda expressed gratitude for the donation saying it has been a relief to her family.

"Life at camp has not been easy since the disaster hit and we are grateful to Madam Chakwera for remembering us," said Banda.

Over 14,000 people were displaced by the floods that hit Nkhotakota early this year due to heavy rains and water rising levels on Lake Malawi.