Disability Org Falls Short Of Fundraising Target After Cyclone
NSANJE, Malawi — A leading Malawian disability advocacy group fell short of its charity drive goal to aid thousands of members impacted by a tropical storm early this year, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
The Malawi Council for the Handicapped had hoped to raise 35 million kwacha (nearly $40,000) through its annual Flag Week campaign ending Friday.
But Public Relations Officer Harriet Kachimanga said it collected around 3 million kwacha so far, counting on outstanding pledges to still meet the target.
She thanked supporters while inviting increased assistance to provide relief for marginalized storm victims struggling to recover 10 months after Cyclone Freddy hit southern Malawi.
Kachimanga said vulnerable people with disabilities were excluded from early warning alerts and faced accessibility barriers reaching shelters and provisions when the storm struck. That jeopardized safety.
“There is a need for various organisations to consider preparing messages through MACOHA which are in an accessable format for the persons with disabilities,” she told attendees at Friday’s ceremony, citing issues like Braille information cards.
Teacher Graut Rambiki, who is blind, faulted humanitarian groups for overlooking disability needs at evacuation sites during Freddy.
He said there were no appropriate toilet and bathing facilities while basic items like wheelchairs, canes and walking sticks were lacking.
“In the evacuation camps there were no disability friendly toilets, bathrooms which made harder for them to access them,” Rambiki remarked in Nsanje town, underscoring how marginalization compounds vulnerability.
Local MACOHA officials report over 5,400 disabled individuals affected by the storm across the district, which saw extensive flooding. Just 66 of 197 severely impacted received any assistance to recover, reflecting chronic aid gaps.
Cyclone Freddy crossed over Mozambique before unleashing heavy winds and rains on southern and central Malawi in early January, displacing tens of thousands.
Over 30 deaths were linked to flooding and landslides nationwide.
But emergency support often fails to match needs on the ground, with vulnerable groups like persons with disabilities disproportionately impacted yet overlooked in responses.
MACOHA aims to bridge such divides through advocacy campaigns highlighting exclusion.
Through cultural songs and poetry performances, Friday’s gathering stressed economic empowerment is essential for disabled storm survivors to build back better.
But additional backing is required to ensure Freddy’s destructive legacy does not linger for those facing the steepest climb rebuilding.