Heaven close to home

The JTI Foundation•Projects•Heaven close to home

Implementing partner HABITAT FOR HUMANITY MALAWI (HFHM)

Country Malawi

Tropical Cyclone Freddy was an exceptionally long-lived, powerful and deadly storm that developed in the Indian Ocean during February 2023. Of all nations in the path of the cyclone, Malawi was the country worst affected by the storm and subsequent flooding. Around 1,200 people are believed to have lost their lives, with the damage to agriculture and infrastructure estimated at over USD 650 million.

HFHM’s objective in Malawi was straightforward: to provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable families affected by Cyclone Freddy in the Traditional Authority area of Jenala, in the Phalombe District of eastern Malawi. HFHM achieved this by delivering two proven types of intervention.

First, displaced families were provided with Emergency Shelter Kits (ESK) containing basic building materials – such as wood and nails – and tools to allow for the construction of temporary shelters. Families were extensively trained by HFHM staff on the use of their ESK, prior to construction.

Second, families were provided with Non-Food Items to improve their dignity and quality of life, including items such as soaps, detergents, blankets and mosquito nets. As a result, 430 families – or 2,580 people in total – were able to remain close to their former homes and farmsteads throughout the crisis.