By Suleman Chitera
Machinga, Malawi – Tingo Kapolo, a 65-year-old man from Malunda Village in Traditional Authority Mgulumya, could not hide his joy upon receiving maize relief under the 2023-2024 Lean Season Response Program spearheaded by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA). Kapolo, who faces physical challenges, expressed immense gratitude for the timely assistance as his family had been struggling to survive due to severe food shortages in Machinga District.
With financial hardships preventing him from purchasing maize, Kapolo explained that his family had resorted to relying on mangoes for sustenance. “My family and I were surviving on mangoes daily due to financial difficulties. A 5-liter bucket of maize costs MK4,500, which is unaffordable for me,” he said. For Kapolo, the food donation represents a much-needed lifeline in a period of uncertainty and hunger.
Another beneficiary, Fanny Frank from Mpango Village in Traditional Authority Nkula, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the impact of the DoDMA relief on families and school-going children who had dropped out of school due to food scarcity. “This support has truly brought hope to our community, especially for children who need consistent meals to focus on their education,” she noted.
The Lean Season Response Program, overseen by Machinga’s District Disaster Risk Management Officer Shepherd Jere, aims to assist 80,368 households severely affected by hunger in the district. The program is set to run for five months, with the World Food Programme (WFP) providing support for the first two months.
Machinga District has experienced significant hardship due to drought, leaving residents dependent on green mangoes, wild tubers, and buffalo beans—locally known as chitedze—to stave off hunger. The relief effort provides a measure of security for residents like Kapolo and Frank, ensuring access to basic food as they navigate one of the toughest lean seasons in recent years.
