JB roll out maize donations to food insecure families in Malawi
Malawi President Joyce Banda rolled out the food distribution exercise Thursday afternoon in Sub-Traditional Authority Chanthunya’s area in Balaka district where she distributed 50 kg bags of maize to food insecure families.
President Banda pledged during the function that her Government will ensure that hunger-stricken households and communities across the country are given relief food and that cash transfer programmes will be enhanced to economically empower people to buy food and other basic necessities.
“As a Government, we will do everything we can to avert the hunger situation prevailing in most of the areas across the country. The problem with this particular area is that the drought has persisted for three years (from 2009) and that people are extremely desperate for food relief,” said the President.
The Head of State announced that the World Bank had committed USD10 million for the implementation of the public works programme where members of the community receive K300 a day for the assigned piece work.
She said with such support, people will be able to work twice or three times a day and earn more money to buy food.
The President, who made a personal donation of over 1,500 bags (50 kgs) of maize to the various households, encouraged people who are ‘privileged’ to come to the rescue of hunger-stricken families.
Banda said apart from the official intervention, through government and cooperating partners, including the WFP, she had personally undertaken to help with how much she can to avert a catastrophe.
“I have deployed people across the regions to assess the extent of the hunger problem and how I can help. Let’s all embrace a spirit of helping each other in crisis times,” said President Banda.
Banda sourced the maize as a response to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report which indicates that households in districts Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mwanza, Neno, Blantyre, Balaka, Phalombe, Ntcheu, Zomba and Chiradzulu are food insecure.
She asked ruling People’s Party (PP) officials to shoulder the responsibility of food distribution to some food insecure households in Malawi.
In Nsanje and Chikhwawa districts, President Banda has entrusted Minister of Transport Mohammed Sidik Mia and Parliamentarian Sam Ganda while Irrigation and Water Development Minister Richie Muheya is in-charge of the maize distribution exercise in Mulanje district. Other districts to benefit are Machinga, Zomba, Mangochi and Chiradzulu.
Other speakers at the function included VP Kachali, MP for Balaka West, Nasrin Pillane and Sub-T/A Chanthunya. All the speakers commended the President’s generous gesture.
- President Banda donating maize
