Association of Malawians in Scotland fundraising for school-going children affected by Cyclone Ana
The Association of Malawians in Scotland have started mobilizing resources to alleviate the suffering among children affected by Cyclone Ana.
Cyclone Ana has hit Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi, leaving behind a trail of devastation and loss of lives.
It brought with it a lot of rains and with so much water, resulting in unprecedented flooding in the Lower Shire Region in Malawi.
The level of damage to infrastructure, and people’s lives and livelihoods is on a scale that has not been experienced before, according to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA).
The association observes that while the Government of Malawi is doing everything that it can do to assist communities in search, rescue and re-unite loved ones and their communities, it felt the need to complement such efforts by mobilizing resources towards procurement of blankets, water, food and other daily provisions for children affected by the disaster, especially school-going ones.
“Many of these Malawians based in Scotland have family who have been directly affected by the cyclone. This is the wet season and the rains are still falling across the country bringing more water to the Lower Shire worsening an already grievous situation. There is an urgent need to act to prevent more deaths and severe illnesses. We are aiming to raise £20,000 to ensure that children in some of the affected are protected,” says the association in a statement issued on Sunday.
Lower Shire is also home to the world-famous Majete Game Reserve. Conservationists have been working very hard to repopulate the Game Reserve with the Big Five.
To contribute, click on this link: GoFundMe page or (https://www.gofundme.com/f/Help-us-rescue-Southern-Malawi-children)
However, according to the association, the programme is also under threat as some of the animals and their habitat have been destroyed.
“There was already increased pressure on the game and this has undoubtedly been compounded by the effect of the cyclone. Impact Assessments are still ongoing but there is no doubt that financial and other resources will be needed to rehabilitate communities around the Game Reserve. Therefore, the AMS would like to appeal for financial donations to assist with the ongoing emergency response,” pleads the association.
