By Felix Katemula

Karonga, August 31, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has advised households who have received assorted relief items in Karonga against selling them but rather use them for the intended purpose.

Operations Coordinator for MRCS, Loius Solomon, was speaking Friday during a distribution exercise of relief items which included solar powered lights, blankets and mats to 100 households who survived floods at Nyungwe in the area of Traditional Authority Mwilang’ombe.

“We have targeted the needy such as the elderly, child-headed families and people with disabilities so that they are cushioned in one way or another.

 As such, our expectation is that you who have received these items will use them for the intended purpose,” Solomon said.

He was optimistic of more support to the survivors in complimenting government’s efforts to ensure that affected households rebuild their lives and live normally.

One of the beneficiaries, Rista Mwafulirwa, urged other organizations to emulate the gesture as there are still more needy people who were affected by floods last year.

 “These items have come at a time we needed them most. The floods affected us greatly and this assistance will improve our day to day life. My house will have solar lighting now which I could not afford to buy on my own,” said Mwafulirwa.

MRCS is implementing Flood Response Project with funding from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The project is expected to reach out to 724 beneficiaries in Karonga.