By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, February 8, Mana: Commissioner for Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), Charles Kalemba, has advised people in Likoma District to refrain from dependency syndrome for their livelihoods.

Kalemba was speaking Wednesday during a distribution exercise of relief maize to 444 under privileged households in the district.

“What we are doing as DoDMA, we are providing relief assistance and we have also embarked on what we call a mindset change. Most people have created a mindset of waiting for somebody to help them all the time without taking individual actions to uplift oneself from poverty trap.

“This country has adequate resources, so we have to utilize our capabilities and abilities to mobilize worth for ourselves so that we meet one of the pillars of Malawi 2023 which talks of worth creation. This cannot be achieved by government alone, so everybody has to work towards this goal,” said Kalemba.

He noted that the district has people who have capacity to help themselves, saying the people have a lot to do which can make almost everybody in the district to be self-dependent.

District Commissioner for Likoma, Abubakar Nkhoma, thanked government for the relief assistance which he said would go a long way in serving hunger stricken households in the district.

“We are thankful for this; people will have food for the next two months,” said Nkhoma.

One of the beneficiaries from Chizumulu Island, Mary Malumbizo, commended government for the maize, saying it will serve her family and others who have acute food shortage in the district.