Habitat aids construction of shelters in Chikwawa

Habitat for Humanities has moved in to help with construction of temporary shelters for 292 households from the area of group village headwoman Matsukambiya in Chikwawa District affected by heavy rains.

The Non-Governmental Organisation will give each household tents, a craw harmer, blankets, a handsaw, sleeping mats, hoes, shovels, panga knives and other non-food items that will help them build the shelters.

Speaking on Thursday after handing over the materials, Habitat for Humanity National Director, Anock Kapira said the initiative is part of a $200 000 emergency response program which targets 730 displaced families in the district.

“Materials donated will help the families to resettle and we have also provided training on how they will construct houses that are resilient to emergences like these.

“The families are going back to the communities where they were displaced because they are waiting for the government to give them new land in the uplands where they will relocate to,” he said.

An official from the district’s department of disaster risk management for resilience, Khumbize Kazira said the district council is in the process of acquiring land where the affected families will be relocated to.

“We are waiting for other stakeholders to finalise the process of acquiring the land where the victims will relocate to,” she said.

On his part, chairperson for the displaced community Abraham Kambewa said the temporary shelters will help prevent the spread of communicable disease among them.