FHT, Christian Aid donate to Monze flood victims
By VIOLET MENGO in MONZE
MONZE District Commissioner Joyce Musokotwane has appealed to residents in flood-affected areas not to sell the relief food and materials donated to them.Ms Musokotwana made the appeal when she received an assortment of food and materials from the Family Heath Trust (FHT) and Christian Aid.
Ms Musokotwane urged the affected people to seek other alternative interventions that would economically empower them rather than sell the donated items.
She said she shared the two organisations’ concept of empowering communities instead of giving them handouts.
FHT donated beans, Kapenta, maize meal, chlorine and 750 mosquito nets to Monze residents who were seriously hit by floods.
The goods worth K220 million would cover 360 households.
She commended the two organisations for their gesture.
Ms Musokotwane said the floods of the 2007/8 rainy season had greatly devastated many households.
She said the effects included crop loss, threat of disease of water borne disease due to stagnant water, damaged infrastructure and submerged water points.
She said the donation was meant to supplement Government efforts in caring for its people.
FHT executive director John Munsanje said the organisation did not sit back when Government moved to provide rapid relief.
Mr Munsanje said with financial support from Christian Aid of United Kingdom, FHT mobilised resources to meet the basic needs of the affected families in Monze.
He said although the process took a little longer than expected to conclude, he was happy that the people of Monze had finally received food that would help them in the short term.
He said it was never too late to donate food because livelihood issues would continue to be of high priority in the district.
“It is clear that there is no harvest this year and mostly likely next year because communities lost their capital base, and this food will help you in a little way,” he said.
Christian Aid country manager Jennifer Sakala said it was her organisation’s goal to play a part in the eradication of poverty in the country by meeting the basic needs of the people affected by natural disasters.
Ms Sakala said though the mitigation was not permanent, Christian Aid in partnership with FHT would embark on a more permanent project of livestock distribution such as chickens, goats, cows and pigs.
The four areas catered for are: Kasaka, Bwantu, Njola and Mwanza.
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