Red Cross hailed for resilience projects

Zomba District Council director of administration Redgson Mkolombwe has commended Malawi Red Cross Society for implementing two projects that seek to build resilience among flood survivors in Zomba District.

Speaking on Tuesday during inspection of the projects, he said the projects had changed people’s lives in the area.

He said: “Projects should bring change to communities. That is what I see as people are able to access potable water.

“Again, the council is pleased to see that some vulnerable people now own houses.”

Red Cross also constructed latrines in schools used as evacuation centres during floods.

On his part, Zomba District Red Cross coordinator Owen Kanongodza said they wanted to improve people’s lives through the projects.

He said through the project, many lives have been touched and there is great improvement in as far as access to clean and safe water is concerned.

“We also trained people on how to administer first aid when disasters strike,” said Kanongodza.

Group village head Chaweza people used to draw water from unprotected sources.

“Again, through the rain gauges installed in the river, we will be able to know about impending floods and flee to upland areas in time,” he said.

Through the first project implemented in Traditional Authority Mwambo, Red Cross has drilled five boreholes and constructed 33 houses for people whose houses were destroyed by floods in 2015.

In the other project, Red Cross trained community members on how to detect early warnings of impending natural disasters such as floods by using rain gauges to assess water levels in Phalombe River.