‘Cushioning Impacts Of Natural Disasters By Empowering Communities’: CADECOM
By Cedric Nyoni
As a way of providing sustainable and long term response to people whose livelihood was affected by this year’s flood disaster, The Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) embarked on implementation on several projects that include, what they call Resilience Project and the Central Emergency Relief Fund III (Cerf III).
According to CADECOM’s National Secretary Carsterns Mulume, the projects are aimed at cushioning the shocks that these people incurred or might face in future disasters.
“CERF III Project is relatively short term response which is aimed at responding to the immediate needs of communities that were affected by this year’s floods by providing them with agricultural inputs and modern ways of farming while Resilience Project is aimed at preparing farmers moving them from a state of disaster to a state where they can live a normal life” Said Mulume.
CADECOM is coordinating the two projects in T.A. Chiwalo’s Area in Phalombe District with financial assistance from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Speaking during one of field visits, Chief Chiwalo thanked CADECOM for helping his subjects when ever need arises and urged his people to be corporative.
“My area lies on the Lake Chilwa plain Basin and that most of the times it is prone to floods, my area was even one of the areas which was affected by the infamous 1991Phalombe flash Floods Disaster. I must thank CADECOM because of recent times they have always been there for us with various projects” said Traditional Chief Chiwalo.
“The CADECOM people came to our village months ago and started teaching us how to practice conservation agriculture, they also taught us about village banking and savings in order for us to be self reliant both in terms of food and economically so that we should not fill the pinch of the disaster” said Anne Phandama one of the beneficiaries from the area.
Communities through The Resilience Project are being told how to practice Environmental friendly ways of Farming and food Conservation. They are also drilled on how to save income.
During a recent Field visit organized by CADECOM, journalists visited Matiti and Namng’ona Irrigation Schemes to appreciate how the CERF III is being implemented on the ground where farmers were provided with treadle pumps, seeds and technical knowhow on winter cropping.