Nsanje woman stuck in flood victims’ camp

It’s over five months since Malawi witnessed a heavy downpour that led to floods in some parts of the country.

The fierce waters swept livestock, hectares of farmland aside of destroying infrastructure like roads, bridges and houses of people in the country.

Modester Saopa and her family in Nsanje district are among people who lost property in the ferocious waters.

Together with her family, Modester Saopa joined other 866 victims at Lalanje flood victims in the district for temporary home away from home that was turned to be memorial with forceful water that swept her village.

Weeks later, she lost her husband while at the camp, leaving her with responsibility of taking care of seven children that the two had together on her.

“That day, my husband went to the garden, he was okay and he never complained of body pains. While there, he started complaining that he was not feeling okay and he fell down, when we took him to the hospital, he was pronounced dead,” explained Modester while failing to hold her emotions.

Death of her husband opened another chapter of more hard life for Modester Saopa and the seven children, with the first daughter aged 17 requiring school fees to be paid at Fatima Girls Secondary.

With other victims regaining strength of resettling in other places, Modester Saopa sees herself and the children being trapped at the camp with problems to start a new life.

“I need to build a new house, and we are being advised not to go to those areas that are prone to floods, that means I must buy land for me to build another house,” she said.

Building a resilient infrastructure that she can proudly call a house for herself and the children is another dream that has been blocked with the high cost of building materials.

The future of her daughter who wish to become a nurse once done with school faces resistance of tuition fees to be achieved.

As days pass by with sun rise and sun set, Modester Saopa holds her worries on her first daughter whom she described as an “intelligent” girl who faces drop out of school.

“If my daughter had completed her studies, she could have been the one providing support to me,” She explained further.

She pleaded with well-wishers to come forth and support the daughter with school fees.

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