MCV Post Cyclone Dispatch 10

Mary Pomeroy, a current MCV board member, entered Malawi shortly after Cyclone Freddy hit. Here is the final in a series of her experiences.

MCV will be building 5 village houses/month for families with orphaned children. These families include grandparents, aunts/uncles or friends who have taken in children without parents or single parents with many children to feed. Bricks have been made: sand mixture and cement. Door and window frames are ready to be placed in the new houses. Soon each house will become their family home again. They will move what pots/pans they have been given or were salvaged after the rains subsided, add their wovenmats for bedding, blankets and 25 kg of maize flour proved by MCV.

MCV secured bags of maize from surrounding areas, emptied the maize kernels for drying on large sheets of plastic on MCV grounds. This dried maize was then put back in the sacks and taken to the local mill for grinding into flour. MCV staff members have been busy to ensure the dispersal of this needed food. Clothes have also been distributed. Their homes will again be active and vital, providing family security to many in each home. The daily collection of water at pumps or Lake Malawi continues. Collecting wood for their small fires for cooking is imperative. From nothing there is now something.

After 3 weeks in Malawi, Mike and I are on our way home. It was hard to leave, as their daily rhythm became our rhythm. Daily, the Malawians helped each other. We were only a small part of their community as they each started taking steps forward after Cyclone Freddie. Their resilience is deep and strong. Sharing their resilience with us helped us see their fortitude. Being part of their daily lives offered us a glance into many lives, as they began rebuilding their communities and family homes. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to returning to Malawi, another home for Mike and me.