Chikwawa flood victims get relief

About 203 families that withstood pressure from their colleagues to return to disaster-prone areas after the 2015 floods in Chikwawa received a boost from Henwood Foundation on Saturday. The foundation has sunk a borehole and constructed 12 toilets for the community.

Henwood Foundation—a social justice arm for the New Apostolic Church—with support from Nak Karitativ of Germany, says it spent K29 million (about $41 000) to improve water and hygiene facilities at Jombo Camp in Chikwawa, which is home to about 2 000 settlers.

A representative of Henwood Foundation, Apostle Arnold Mhango, asked the community to take care of the facilities which, he said, will help ward off diseases such as cholera and dysentery at the camp.

“This assistance is based on a needs assessment that we conducted some months ago following our initial help in which we provided roofing materials, farming implements, clothes and food,” Mhango said.

Jombo Camp is part of 42 000 people who were displaced by floods in January 2015, after which government asked the displaced people not to return to the flood-prone areas.

But Chikwawa district commissioner Bester Mandele said most people defied the government’s call to stay upland, citing the lack of social services such as schools and health facilities.

“We would like to commend these people who have decided not to return to areas that are likely to face floods every year which costs government and other organisations a lot of money in rescue operations and relief aid,” he said.

Jombo Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson Christina Mpungula asked government to ensure that the people access free health services closer to their camp. n