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Over 4,000 Households Selected in Malawi Catholic Bishops’ Hunger Crisis Project

Credit: Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM)

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) are targeting about 4500 households affected by hunger in their newly launched Cash Transfer Project as part of the response to the hunger crisis in the Southern African nation.

According to a Wednesday, February 28 report, the project that the Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) of ECM spearheaded targets hunger victims from the country’s 10 districts whose situation was escalated by last year’s Cyclone Freddy.

The project that is realized in partnership with the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) is projected at USD 316223 (MK 452 million).

Bishop Alfred Chaima who chairs CADECOM said, “The grant will help the Church to implement a cash transfer initiative aimed at assisting hunger-stricken families to buy foodstuffs during this tough period.”

“The Church is planning to reach out to 4, 520 families with cash transfers of MK100,000 (USD 59) to each household as a short-term solution to aid them with food during this hard season,” said Bishop Chaima who is also the Local Ordinary of the country’s Zomba Diocese.

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The Bishop lauded the Scottish government for partnership during the launch of the project, saying, “The Scottish Government was also very instrumental, having supported us with two hundred thousand British pounds recently.”

“We are deeply grateful on behalf of our people! In the same vein, the Scottish Government has also supported us yet again with an amount of 250, 000 British Pounds to support the worst-hit households by the current food crisis during February and March 2024,” he said.

The Bishop acknowledged the power of caring for each other amid diversity, underscoring unity as the people created in the image and likeness of God.

“The Holy Father, Pope Francis also emphasizes the need to take care of the poor and those in need. The Scottish Government has led by example by providing such enormous support to communities at risk of food insecurity in Malawi,” Bishop Chaima said.

On her part, Chimwemwe Sakunda, the National CADECOM Coordinator affirmed that ECM’s humanitarian arm will ensure that the initiative benefits solely the affected households by educating them to avoid abuse.

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Ms Sekunda.said that CADECOM would “continue to reach out to our various partners for more support to sustainably restore the livelihoods and strengthen resilience of the affected households and communities,”

In a report released last year, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) projected the food security outlook of Malawi between October 2023 to May 2024 and predicted an acute food security outcome.

“Central and northern Malawi are generally likely to have a more stable food security situation supported by the anticipated nearly average main season harvest, but a few lakeside areas in the central region will face Stressed (IPC Phase 2) and Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes due to severe damage from Tropical Cyclone Freddy and reduced cultivated land,” the report indicates.

 

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.