The 450 temporary shelters are part of the Rapid Emergency Response program in which CRS with support from various donors and its partners have been implementing.

Program manager for the international humanitarian agency of the catholic community Dyna Khonde says they thought of pumping in more support to complement government's effort of ensuring that the affected population recovers from the natural calamity which made landfall in March this year.

“These are just temporary shelters, they are not permanent, they’re meant to just help them transition from the camps to their respective homes, and we are hoping that these shelters will help them start rebuilding their houses,” Khonde said.

Stellia Sande, one of the beneficiaries from Chataika village T/A Malemia in Nsanje who has been living at Nsanje Catholic Primary Camp for the past three months has since hailed CRS for the gesture.

“My ancestral spirits have surely visited me,” she said.

And in Zomba, Esnart Chinomba, Lucy Sulumba and Jeffrey Mphonda are among the 260 households to have benefitted from the aid.

The three cite that due to congestion at the camps, lack of privacy led to erosion of dignity hence hailing CRS for the gesture which they say will restore the problem at hand.

In view of this, CRS has identified and trained 90 local artisans to support in the construction of the temporary shelters.