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Action Aid Injects K60 Million into Cyclone Freddy Cash Transfer Program

The Organization is implementing the intervention through its partner Kuchene Women Forum The Organization is implementing the intervention through its partner Kuchene Women Forum - pic by Alfred Guta

An International Organization, Action Aid Malawi has pumped K60 million into a cash transfer program targeting 1,000 displaced women headed, child headed and disability headed households in Nsanje and Phalombe districts.

The Organization’s Program and Policy Lead, Wongani Mugaba believes such an initiative will make a difference in uplifting survivors’ livelihoods following the catastrophic effects of tropical cyclone Freddy.

Mugaba disclosed at Motal Engil flood survivors’ camp in Nsanje, each household is getting K60, 000 which will be utilized to meet their basic needs.

“The initiative is an intensification of the disaster response program particularly in Nsanje and Phalombe districts where we want to reach out to women headed households, child headed households and disability headed households.

“We are focusing on the vulnerable groups so they should be able to bounce back and meet their basic needs,“ explained Mugaba.

He added, “We are trying to respond in a human rights way by prioritizing provision of cash because we believe it also helps someone to make wide choices, we are looking at issues of dignity.

“We supported some of the survivors with food and non-food items but this time we felt cash would be ideal as procuring costs lead to prices being high which affects the benefit that goes to a person.”

He disclosed that they will use K70 million saying the K60 million is going directly to beneficiaries whereas the K10 million has been allocated towards fighting acts of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in camps, “Such acts also become rampant.

“There is K5 million for each district which would be used for sensitization, capacity building as well as procuring things towards a complaint reporting mechanism.” 

Deputy Minister of Local Government Unity and Culture, Owen Chomanika while commending the move, has appealed for more support from non-state actors saying “many are in dire need of support, the government cannot do everything.”

Memory Cross aged 34, from Nthole village in the area of Traditional Authority Malemia in Nsanje district gave birth a day after her house was flooded.

Memory told Zodiak Online floods hit her on Tuesday and she delivered a baby boy at Nsanje District Hospital the following day.

“I lost all my things including things I bought in preparation for delivery thanks to well-wishers who came to my rescue. Life has been hard at the camp,” she narrated.

The woman has hailed Action Aid Malawi describing its intervention as timely.

The Organization is implementing the intervention through its partner Kuchene Women Forum.

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