NGO reaches out to 1, 000 food insecure families in Balaka

Balaka, July 13, Mana: At least 1, 000 families from the area of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Nyanyala in Balaka can afford a smile and rest assured that they have a week of three meals per day all thanks to Design OutReach, a local Christian organization.

In their lamentations, the people indicated that they are surviving on sweet potatoes, some on seasonal fruits like Masau, which they buy after enduring hard labour in other people’s irrigation fields.

Before presenting the food relief, beneficiaries were taken through prayers where messages of hope and repentance were given, with each getting a book with stories from the Holy Bible to remind them that they are not forsaken but that God is in control regardless of their situations.

Regional Director for Design OutReach, Dr. Beatrice Chisinga said the organization’s core duty is technology innovation for developing countries whereby their main focus is in an ultra-deep hand pump which extracts water at a very deep depth.

However, Chisinga said due to the dry spells that have hit most parts of Malawi, they thought of reaching out to their donors in the United States of America (USA) to intervene and donate food to some of the affected households.

“We are providing 20 tonnes of maize flour, five tonnes of soya flour, two tonnes of beans, one tonne of cooking oil and one tonne of salt, with bails of soya pieces and these will be distributed to 1, 000 beneficiaries where each person will get a 20 kgs of maize white flour, two kgs of soya flour, a one litre bottle of cooking oil, one kg of salt and 10 packets of soya pieces,” Chisinga said.

“We hope that in October, we might come back as our donors are very positive that we should give at least twice during this dry spell,” she added.

Sub Traditional Authority Nyanyala advised his subjects to prudently use the food items, reminding them of how tough the situation has been in the area.

“I have never witnessed this kind of a donation in my area, let all the food be utilized within our households. I know we will rest for a few days as most of us are relying on doing some piece works for money to buy food,” he said.

“Let these days remind us of the word of the Lord we have heard here. We all have been told messages of hope and repentance,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Bephia Samson, 43, could not hide her happiness. She said the food will serve her and her six children from starving.

“I literally harvested a half 50 kg bag this year. From the harvesting month to date, I have been surviving on grace, these days we could sleep on Masau, sometimes on an empty stomach; to see all the food today and especially that we will prepare with cooking oil is a blessing to me and my family,” Samson said.

Earlier this year, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera declared state of disaster in 23 districts in the county of which Balaka is included, calling upon local and international development partners to come forward and assist the Malawi nation during this period.