Malawi Red Cross Society rescues Nsanje VCPCs with K9mil  protective materials

Malawi Red Cross Society has rescued Nsanje district council by providing protective materials worth over K9 millio  to Civil Protection Committee member and Red Cross volunteers of two traditional authorities which are prone to disasters more especially water flooding.

Malawi Red Cross Society District Project Officer under the European Commission Humanitarian Civil Protection (ECHO) Chancy Muwamba said their organization is very mindful that civil protection committee members and their volunteers are very crucial in search and rescue during the disasters hence the need to provide them with the necessary support such as protective gear to effectively discharge their duties during any occurrence.

Muwamba emphasized that people who provide protection services during the disasters are first supposed to protect themselves before protecting any person.

“In protection, the one who are protecting colleagues are supposed first to consider their protection before that of others. As Red Cross, we thought of providing the materials so that when these members are responding to disasters, they should be able to put on those protective gear so that them should not be harmed in the course of their work.

“As Malawi Red Cross, we are very mindful that these committees in the areas are very crucial in any occurrence such as disasters. Let me ask the recipient to take care of the materials so that it last longer.

“Apart from protective attire like Gumboots, Raincoats, helmets, Solar powered torches, we have also provided bicycles to caution mobility challenges which the comittees have been facing. Not only that, we have provided the committees with cell phones and Mega phones so that they are able to communicate early warning information to the communities they are saving,” said Muwamba.

One of the Group Village Head Chapinga, in the area of Chief Mlolo whose committees received the materials applauded the organization for the support and he described it as long overdue since they have been waiting for it for long.

“We are very happy to receive these materials. We have been asking for them for long time as most of the times when disasters strike, Civil Protection Committee members and Red Cross volunteers have not been putting on protective gear which has been putting their lives at risk. I am therefore, asking my subjects to take care of the materials so that they can be used for long,” advised Group Village Head Chapinga.

Nsanje’s Assistant District Disaster Risk Management Officer Humphrey Magalasi saluted Malawi Red Cross Society for provision of the materials as he said it will help the recipients to work even in harsh conditions during the disasters especially floods.

“Committees have been lacking protective materials for their operations during disasters more especially floods. The materials will help them during the disaster assessment, search and rescue in case of floods,” said Magalasi

He further asked for more protective materials’ support saying Nsanje district has more Village Civil Protection Committees (VCPCs) which are operating without such materials.

“Let me appeal stakeholders for the protective gear support for our committees. Nsanje as a district we have more of these committees which have been operating without such useful materials. Therefore, we need support from our partners. We are very thankful to Red Cross Society for starting the ball rolling,” he urged.

The protective materials which Red Cross Society has provided to the Committees and their volunteers includes; Gumboots, Raincoats, helmets, Solar powered torches, Cell Phones, Bicycles and Mega phones just to mention but the few.

Malawi Red Cross Society with technical support from Netherlands and Belgium Red Cross with funds from European Commission Humanitarian Civil Protection (ECHO) is implementing a project dubbed Building a resilent Malawi in Nsanje district.

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