Stormy winds damage houses in Ntchisi: 150 households rendered homeless
About 150 households have been rendered homeless after stormy winds damaged their houses on Saturday in Kanyenda Village in Traditional Authority Kalumo’s area in Ntchisi District.
Two people sustained injuries after roofs of their houses fell on them and were treated at Ntchisi District Hospital, according to the area’s Village Civil Protection Committee Secretary, Olipa Moses who explained that the stormy winds started around 5 pm on Saturday.
She identified the two as Thauzeni Chinthu and Zione Sochi, both from Kanyenda Village.
Meanwhile, eight teachers’ houses at Kanyenda Primary School as well as a classroom block and one teacher’s house at Kanyenda Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) have also been damaged.
The teachers are now staying in classrooms at the school, a development which will negatively affect lessons as well as performance of the learners at the school, according to Ntchisi District Education Manager (DEM), Votie Mboweni.
“This will obviously affect lessons at the school as the teachers have been psychologically and physically affected since their property as well as teaching and learning materials have been damaged and classrooms have been turned into houses,” said Mboweni.
The DEM also said some learners at Kanyenda CDSS have been sent home as the classroom block which has been damaged was being used as a hostel.
He said his office has advised the school management to make use of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) to repair the houses as soon as possible.
“We are also mobilizing the community members to assist in repairing the houses so that classes return to normal at the institution,” said Mboweni who added the Central East Education Division Office has also been informed for assistance at the CDSS.
Ntchisi District Council Director of Administration, Andrew Lihoma who led a team of people from the council as well as nongovernmental organisations working in the district to assess the extent of damage, said a report would be compiled and submitted to the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA) as well as other nongovernmental organisations for assistance.
