SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR DURING LENT

Every human being is encouraged to live the three pillars of Lenten season: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Every year, the Provincial Council has been allocating an amount to help the poor. This year, many people have suffered and some still continue suffering from the effects of Cyclones Ana and Gombe. It is the intention of the Provincial Council of Brothers FIC in Malawi to help those who have been made destitute and/or homeless by Cyclones Ana and Gombe. 

(Some of the items bought and distributed)

Additionally, the General Council of Brothers FIC in Netherlands have contributed to the same. These contributions have enabled the brothers to buy two hundred (200) blankets, two hundred bags of 10kgs maize flour, and forty (40) rolls of plastic sheet papers for thatching houses. The Provincial Council requested Brothers George Muliya and Mike Mbato to purchase the items and then distribute them to the needy. The items have been distributed to the villages surrounding our communities. One thousand kilograms of maize flour and one hundred blankets were donated to Archdiocese of Blantyre for distribution in the outstations affected by the Cyclones.

More than 900, 000 people were affected by the effects of Cyclone Ana which hit 17 of the country’s 28 districts. 33 people were killed and 20 went missing. Houses, roads and electrical poles were destroyed, and drinking water became contaminated.

(Brothers George Muliya (left) and Mike Mbato (right) ready to distribute the items)

Just before the damages of Cyclone Ana were recovered, in February, the country was hit again by Cyclone Gombe. It claimed 7 lives and further damaged houses and roads mostly in the south of Malawi. Chikwawa – Nsanje M1 road was cut off in Chikwawa district and made Nsanje district inaccessible. Again, the evacuation camp hosting people who were affected by Storm Ana in Phalombe in January was also submerged, leaving the people homeless.

It is our hope that the items we have distributed will at least ease the condition of those made destitute.

Compiled by

By Bro. George Muliya