Malawi’s NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA) recently named the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) – an association of the Catholic bishops in Malawi – as the best organization in managing emergency response in 2023.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera officially presented the award to the National Coordinator of the Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) Chimwemwe Sakunda at the NGO Day at the State House in Lilongwe on 14 December 2023.
CADECOM is a development arm of ECM. Through CADECOM, ECM provided humanitarian support to survivors of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in the southern districts of Malawi.
The torrential rains in March 2023 culminated in heavy flooding and affected 14 districts of the Southern Region, causing untold damage and loss to property and human life.
This prompted CADECOM to make an emergency appeal through Caritas International to mobilize resources that would help save lives and address the immediate needs of the affected communities.
And with the mobilized resources, ECM reached around 90 percent of its asking budget of approximately EUR 600, 000 with which it has directly reached about 50, 000 in the districts of Blantyre, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Machinga, and Mangochi.
The affected households have been assisted with various relief items, including food items such as maize, maize flour, soy pieces, soya nutri-blend meals for under-five children, sugar, cooking oil, salt, and beans among others.
The conference also distributed non-food items such as soap, buckets, dignity packs for women and young girls, and wrappers; support with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities such as borehole rehabilitation and provision of water purifiers and shelter support through provision of tents and building materials.
The material support was coupled with psychosocial counseling using an ecumenical approach aimed at addressing emotional and spiritual restoration.
In her reaction after being crowned best organization in emergency response, Sakunda said they were not surprised that the NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA) awarded the conference the best organization in managing Cyclone Freddy’s response, said they were not surprised with the recognition.
“This is no mean achievement and we are grateful for the recognition in our contribution to alleviating suffering as we are guided by the Catholic Social Teaching. For us, it is a mandate and a role that we take seriously in ensuring that we respect human dignity and thus reduce suffering for the most vulnerable groups,” said Sakunda.
She added that while the response was to address immediate needs, it was critical that organizations, both local and international, and the entire nation at large enhance their support towards interventions that will help the affected communities recover and become more resilient to disasters in future.
“It is a work in progress,” said Sakunda.
By: Watipaso Mzungu