Malawians in Blantyre impacted by Storm Freddy

Hi all

It has largely been flying under the news radar in the UK, but the largest tropical cyclone in recorded history continues to destroy large parts of Malawi and neighbouring Mozambique. A number of the settlements in and around Blantyre in the South of Malawi have been catastrophically damaged and there has been significant loss of life. This is the latest BBC link to it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64938811

All this is happening in an area of the world where neither the affected people nor the government have sufficient funds to manage the immediate requirements for shelter, food and healthcare, reinstate the damage or, often, even just to fall back on in the meantime. They are also in the middle of their biggest ever cholera outbreak and the bursting rivers and overflowing drains risk exacerbating the situation.

Our brother/son/uncle Charlie is the Principal at a school in Blantyre, and the school is working with the local district council, local schools and community organisations to set up emergency shelters and buy in food, clothing and medical/health supplies for those most impacted. There is an urgent need for all of these, before they even have to face the costs of rebuilding once the storm fully subsides.

The situation on the ground is dynamic. Road, telecoms and power systems have all been damaged to make management of the crisis harder. Given that, our plan is to raise funds here and then transfer them to Charlie's school in Malawi for him to deploy with local organisations and NGOs.

I know there are countless good causes. This one is more personal to us than some because of Charlie, but also having been to that amazing and desperately poor part of the world a number of times, so we hope you will forgive the request for donations. Any little you can spare will be gratefully used for essential supplies.

Thank you