Malawi: Churches Action Relief and Development (CARD) has donated 50 push bicycles to female hubs in TAs Nkhulambe and Chiwalo in Phalombe. The aim of the donation was to support the dissemination of disaster information in the nation.
The donation was made on Wednesday at Traditional Authority Nkhulambe Headquarters. The CARD Project Officer, Charles Msowoya delivered a brief address at the donation initiative.
He said the bicycles will ease the mobility problem which has been affecting the dissemination of information. This will serve as the opportunity for the community to get early warning systems which is crucial in disaster preparedness.
It will also help to prevent communities from being caught unaware when a disaster hits. The officials have shared that the members of the community are happy about the discussion.
“Today we are distributing 25 bicycles here at Nkhulambe and the remaining bicycles will be distributed at Chiwalo to address mobility problems which community groups face when disseminating information to do with disaster,” he said.
Omega Mbewe spoke on behalf of Phalombe Councils Director of Planning and Development. He extended his gratitude thanked CARD for supporting female hubs with push bicycles saying this will address mobility challenges among female hubs in the districts disaster-prone areas.
She said there was a need for proper care of the bicycles by among others using for its intended purposes.
“You should not wait for CARD to repair them when they develop faults. The bicycles are now the councils property and if you fail to use them for the intended purpose, the council will withdraw them,” Mbewe added.
One of the bicycle recipients, Yankho Mukhole from Gwirima Village who is also secretary for the Village Disaster Risk Management Committee at Nkhulambe said the bicycle provision was timely and relevant as it will ease mobility challenges among community-based female hubs who are charged with disseminating information on disaster issues.
She said after Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the district; it was hard for the female hubs to reach out communities with early warning messages due to long distances and impassable road networks.
Mukhole assured CARD and Phalombe District Council that female hubs will use the bicycles for the intended purpose and said the hubs were set to do their work as the rainy season approaches.
CARD donated bicycles to Village Disaster Risk Management Committees, youth groups, women’s forums, and Village Savings and Loan (VSL) groups among others with funding from UN Women through Christian Aid.