By Eric Norman Mkwaira
The Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe through its development commission, CADECOM on Monday, 20th January 2024 donated relief items to people who were affected with floods in Mponela, Dowa.
Dean for Dowa Deanery, Rev. Fr. Maxwell Kubalasa who represented the Archbishop of Lilongwe at the Mponela Camp says the donation has come at a good time as the church respects the human dignity.
Fr. Kubalasa says it is the responsibility of the Catholic church to help people in time of suffering just like Jesus Christ showed through his way of living in the gospel.
Fr. Kubalasa added that the church also believes in human development whether physical or spiritual development as this helps people to come closer to the church and word of God.
“We promote integral development of human person. When we talk of development, we talk of spiritual development and even a physical development or corporal development,”
In his remarks, the Camp leader for Mponela Flood Victims, Alfred Chimbeleko commended the donation which the CADECOM gave them as this will help to build hope among the victims.
He said the items will also help in maintaining good hygiene to the Camp.
However, the Director of Planning and Development at Dowa district council, Mercy Mpakule advised the victims to consider getting back to whatever they were doing before floods as the donations will someday come to an end.
Mpakule also cited that the victims must consider moving out of the camp once the situation normalises as there is fear the camp may be contaminated with diseases such as cholera.
“Most of the times, places like this one where many people live together, issues of hygiene are compromised. Because of that, usually diseases like cholera are easily contracted by the people. We want them to go out of the camp, so that they get protected from these communicable diseases.” she concluded.
CADECOM donated the family shelter including tents and mattresses, Maize, Soya beans, Beans, Flour, chlorine and kitchen utensils; pots, plates and buckets among others to the people who were affected by the storms on 13 January in the areas of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponela, T/A Msakambewa and T/A Dzoole in Dowa.
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