* More are being built in other villages, scheduled to be handed over next year
* The houses come along with latrines and and a starter pack of items that include mattresses, blankets and kitchen utensils
* MRF-UK also sinks boreholes in the beneficiaries’ communities, which is one of objective to provide clean water for communities
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi Relief Fund UK (MRF-UK) has handed over 142 decent houses which it has been constructing in the past year for needy people in the villages of Mchiliko and Malowa in Namwera, Mangochi District — complementing it by sinking four boreholes.
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The project to afford vulnerable people, especially widows and families taking care of orphans, was initiated seven years ago in 2015 and so far over 3,000 such houses have been handed over.
MRF-UK Country Coordinator, Yakub Vialli said more are being built in other villages, scheduled to be handed over next year.
“We started building low cost houses since the floods of 2015 in Chiradzulu, Mangochi, Ntaja, Nselema, Namwera, Zomba, Phalombe, Salima and Salima,” he said.
“The houses come along with latrines and we also provide a starter pack of items that include mattresses, blankets and kitchen utensils. We also sink boreholes in the beneficiaries’ communities, which is one of MRF-UK objective to provide clean water for communities where we provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people.
“Clean water is important if we are to improve the health and well-being of people living in rural areas,” Vialli said.
Beaming with happiness the beneficiaries indicated that they can now concentrate on other activities such as farming and business — thereby contributing to the wellbeing of their communities and the national development.
MRF-UK has been involved in many other projects across the country aimed at alleviating poverty in giving out food handouts; providing new houses; carrying out livelihood projects; providing access to clean water; the gift of sight among many other projects.
It also manages a Talha Scholarship that reaches out to more 240 students in various universities and colleges in which over a 100 females are in teacher training programmes.
Though its catchment areas are Zomba, Chiradzulu, Phalombe and Mangochi, MRF-UK swiftly moved in to assist flood victims of Cyclone Ana with relief items that included food, clothing, blankets, safe water and shelter in the Lower Shire.
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