By Clarabella Chipolonga

Chiradzulu, February 9, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) on Thursday handed over 150 goats to 30 Tropical Cyclone Freddy survivor households in Chiradzulu as part of disaster recovery efforts.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at Mussa Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Nkalo, MRCS Director of Programs and Development, Prisca Chisala, said the society’s role is to provide support during disasters throughout the disaster cycle.

“We were there before Cyclone Freddy providing early warning messages, searching and rescue activities. Now we are still there supporting the people with recovery activities. We have given them livestock which is one of the recovery activities we are doing,” she said.

MRCS has targeted 30 out of 59 households, with each household receiving five goats, as a way of promoting the initiative.

Chisala, therefore, appealed to the households to ensure that the livestock remains in good health.

She said disasters will always be there hence the need for the survivors to be prepared.

MRCS is also providing necessary support by training the survivors on various systematic and coping mechanism meant to build their resilience.

She said: “We have trained them on climate-smart agriculture; and we provided farm inputs to boost up their food security levels. We trained our volunteers on participatory approach that are now supporting the survivors with the right knowledge and skills on how to construct safer shelters that are hazard resilient."

Chiradzulu District Council Chairperson, Councilor Charles Chigwenembe, commended MRCS for supporting survivors of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in the district with livestock and training them to acquire skills in mitigating effects of disaster.

"After Cyclone Freddy these people lost everything, including their belongings, which made them lose hope. With partners such as MRCS, people have regained hope and have come back to life after receiving the goats," Chigwenembe who is also councilor for Mombezi Ward said.

Village Head Mussa hailed MRCS for providing livestock describing it as a right gesture at the right time.

"On behalf of my people, I am very grateful because we did not have goats before and this will improve our livelihood," he said.