A total of 244 persons with disabilities have benefitted from the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) Cyclone Freddy Disaster Response project supported by the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) worth K33 million.
The project which started in May 2023 reached out to persons with disabilities who had been affected by Cyclone Freddy by providing them with assistive devices of different types including wheelchairs, clutches, hearing aids, sunscreen lotion and white canes. In partnership with the Malawi against Physical Disabilities, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Orthopaedic Association of Malawi as well as district hospitals, MACOHA identified and assessed the eligible beneficiaries.
The project which targeted Cyclone survivors in Blantyre, Nsanje and Mulanje districts is one way through which Malawi as party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) carries with its obligations to meet the specific human rights needs of persons with disabilities including during situations of humanitarian emergencies, as stipulated in Article 11 of this Convention.
Through resilience, determination, and the unwavering support of the project, hope was restored in the lives of those affected by the Cyclone Freddy disaster. The assistive devices provided have not only offered a means of mobility and communication but also served as a powerful symbol of community and compassion.
Ethel Luciano, mother to 12-year-old Estery Chiyembekezo of Sitaya Village, T/A Makata in Blantyre thanked the organisation for the wheelchair which she said will ease her child's mobility to school.
As the people of Malawi continue their journey towards recovery, this project stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when organisations unite for a common cause. Despite the destruction caused by Cyclone Freddy, it is through the collective effort of dedicated individuals and organizations that hope can be rebuilt.