Single Mother Receives New Home Thanks to SOS Children's Villages Malawi
The organisation prioritised the most vulnerable displaced families, including those living with disabilities like Fotinala, as well as sibling-headed families.
Chikwawa, Malawi - It's a hot Thursday afternoon in Group Village Head Malemia, Traditional Authority Ngabu, Chikwawa, writes Sumeya Issa.
Emily Fotinala is seated on the veranda of her now one-year-old home, surrounded by her children, nephews, and nieces, who are playing just close by.
She smiles cheerfully. It has been a year since the house she used to live in collapsed during Cyclone Ana, which affected Malawi in early 2022.
The house was built on the same land as her new one, and like many others in surrounding villages in the lower Shire, Fotinala has been left with defeating memories of the disaster.
During the cyclone, Fotinala lost her home and all of her belongings. She is a physically challenged single mother of six children, and she was already struggling to take care of them before the disaster.
After the cyclone, she was forced to move in with her sister, which was a challenge as they had to share a small space.
Following the devastation of Cyclone Ana, SOS Children's Villages Malawi, a child-centred international organisation, began looking into the needs of displaced families and other heavily affected individuals.
The organisation prioritised the most vulnerable displaced families, including those living with disabilities like Fotinala, as well as sibling-headed families.
"The biggest impact that followed after cyclone Ana was the loss of homes," said Neverson M'boma, a Chikwawa-based field officer for SOS Children's Villages Malawi.
"We saw a lot of cases where many families in this area lost their houses and their property. The housing project came as a part of the recovery programme under SOS Children's Villages Malawi, for displaced families, where Emily Fotinala is among the beneficiaries. We looked at the severity of the situation in her home and the responsibilities she had as a single parent. We also had similar consideration for the other beneficiaries, some of whom were sibling headed."
Fotimala was one of the beneficiaries of the housing project, and she is grateful for the new home that she has been given.
"It is a safe haven for my children, and it gives me peace of mind," she said.
Her sister, Yusta Fotinala, is also happy for her.
"She suffered a lot during the cyclone, so I am happy she was supported with a new home that can also accommodate her children," she said.
"I am really happy that she will be focusing on other challenges and not have to worry about having a secure home."
More than 995,000 people were affected by the disaster, with 190,000 displaced.
SOS Children's Villages Malawi continues to focus on the needs of children in Malawi's most vulnerable communities.
Through their emergency response programmes and other major activities, the lives of communities in Chikwawa and around Malawi are being transformed and improved for the better.