MRCS influences community in disaster preparedness in Thyolo

By Brenda Nkosi

Thyolo, Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has influenced a community group, Sandama Village Civil Protection Committee (VCPC) to plant trees at Sandama Primary School which is prone to disasters as it is located down the mountain.

Speaking after planting 7,000 trees on Thursday, Chairperson of the Sandama VCPC, Richard Gota said they were supported with 3,000 plastic tubes by Malawi Red Cross which they cut in half to double it and raised a nursery themselves.

“We were able to have 6,000 tubes from what we were supported and bought another thousand with our own funds. We are raised the nursery in our plots until they were ready for planting today.

“This we did because it is necessary for our school to be protected because that is where our children learn. Already it has previously been affected by strong wings which brew away the iron sheets,” he said.

Group Village Headman Sandama said the function was also a learning exercise as it taught learner how to plant and the value of having trees.

“It is only when one knows the value of trees that they can desist from cutting them for charcoal when they grow up,” he said.

MRCS District Coordinator for Thyolo, Ruth Jere said they are implementing Increase Disaster Resilience for Early Action in Malawi (IDREAM) project in the district targeting five GVH of Chipolonga, Nsandama, Thukhuta, Nkhaka and Nkhataombere.

“We are working in disaster prone areas where one focus area is to deal with emergencies in schools to increase knowledge in disaster preparedness in schools among teachers and learners.

“This will contribute to increase resilience of vulnerable community in crisis disaster prone areas to withstand, adapt and quick recover from stresses and shock,” she said.