When Tropical Cyclone Freddy struck Malawi in early 2023, Rose Chimsewu and her family lost their home, all their personal belongings, and their maize crops.
Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) implemented a three-month cash assistance program for 2,500 households affected by the cyclone, supported by Presbyterian World Service & Development. As part of the program, Rose also received seeds and other agricultural inputs. “As a family, we didn’t hesitate, but planted them with the first rains,” said Rose. They were eating two good meals a day, her children started to do better in school, and they had hoped for a bumper harvest. However, the dry spell induced by El Nino caused the crops to dry up.
“From the first cash assistance, I bought a bag of maize and a female goat,” said Rose. “I was looking at the future [and knew] this goat is going to assist me when the project ends.” (Photo: CARD)
“By the time we started recovering from the effects of Cyclone Freddy with assistance from CARD, that’s when we [were] hit by the devastating dry spell. This will take us back to where we were before…”
For families enduring the impacts of recurrent climate crises such as cyclone and drought, reliance on humanitarian assistance can go on for much longer than they anticipated. The progress they make in improving their livelihoods is continuously challenged by the next crisis, which is why we’re investing in nexus programming.
Do you want to help support people in times of crises?
This story was originally published in the 2024 Annual Report.
