Vincent Gunde 
By Vincent Gunde
Israel’s leading international Non – Governmental humanitarian and organization – IsraAID, will implement Dzaleka Refugee Camp response program: Psychosocial recovery and resilience for displaced communities in Dowa district.
IsraAID was founded in 2001 and has been at the forefront of responding to major humanitarian crises around the globe in 60+ countries worldwide.
The organization is present in four countries in Africa, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and Malawi, came to Malawi in 2023 due to Cyclone Freddy emergency response.
Presenting the project to the district stakeholders in Dowa, the organization’s Project Protection Manager Romeo Malizani Chaheka, said IsraAID is working in the key thematic areas of protection, health and nutrition, DRR in Education, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH).
Chaheka said Dzaleka Refugee Camp was built in 1994 to host 10,000 people and now, it is hosting 63,000+ refugees and asylum seekers, including 28,896 children saying it is receiving over 300 new arrivals each month mainly from the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda straining infrastructure and services.
He said the project was designed to address gaps in child protection and safeguarding, child – friendly spaces, 10 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and 10 children’s Corners reaching out to over 3000 children.
The officer said the project will be implemented with a goal of improving psychosocial well being and resilience among displaced children in Dzaleka Refugee Camp through community – driver structured approach that includes ECD and children’s corner activities.
He said the project is expected to reach out to 3000 children ( Care group and ECD), 2,500 children in child – friendly spaces, 8,000 parents, caregivers and exchange agents, 13,600 indirect, 4,000 household members and 9,500 wider community members.
“We will work closely with the Council for the sustainability of the project, what we need is collaboration and protection of the children in the Camp,” said Chaheka.
In his remarks, District Social Welfare Officer for Dowa Jonathan Bonongwe, said the stakeholders meeting is meant to receive reports on how the project is progressing and what to be done advising partners to share reports to enhance cooperation, transparency, and accountability purposes.
IsraAID will implement Dzaleka Refugee Camp response program: Psychosocial recovery and resilience for displaced communities project in Dowa with support from Overlake grant fund and IsraAID headquarters.
