PHALOMBE FREDDY SURVIVORS TO BENEFIT FROM DOZY MMOBUOSI HOUSING PROJECT.

By Linda Likomwa – Mana.

45 Tropical Cyclone Freddy surviving families from the area of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Mphweremwe in Phalombe will benefit from Tigwirane Manja housing project funded by Dozy Mmobuosi.

Mmobuosi, is a Nigerian technology entrepreneur and author. He is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tingo International Holdings, Tingo Remit, and Nwassa, an online platform for farmers in Africa.

In an interview after the launch of the housing project in Phalombe on Monday, Former President Bakili Muluzi, who is the ambassador for the Tigwirane Manja Initiative, said after meeting President Dr Lazarus Chakwera at Sanjika Palace he approached Mmobuosi, currently doing business in the United Kingdom (UK), to assist survivors of the cyclone with houses.

“After a week, I got a call from Dozy Mmobuosi saying he will assist by constructing 100 houses. He has so far put aside K500 million for the houses; each house will cost K5million,” he said adding that this was a quick response.

He further said Mmobuosi, who was present during the launch, also volunteered to come and witness the impact of cyclone Freddy in the country.

Muluzi, therefore, strongly warned Phalombe District Council officers against stealing housing materials for the construction of the houses for the vulnerable households.

Speaking earlier former President Joyce Banda said the two former Presidents will work tirelessly for the cause.

She said climate change is real and has affected negatively those that have not contributed to it.

Banda, therefore, said there was need for the Global North to work with the Global South by bringing in interventions that will support those affected.

She added that most of the effected people were villagers with no clue on climate change but the good news was that the Global North has come to understand, accept, agree and admit that they will take responsibility as they are now forming partnerships.

She thanked Mmobuosi for the support and asked for more well-wishers to come in Phalombe as a lot of households were still destitute.

Banda who has visited eight districts affected by Feddy said Phalombe was the worst hit by the cyclone.

Speaking during the launch, Mmobuosi said he was touched with what he had seen adding, apart from constructing the houses, he will come in with food items and seeds so that those affected should recover.

He emphasised on the need for Africans to assist each other when disasters hit before other continents come in.

STA Phweremwe thanked Mmobuosi for the houses and asked government and well-wishers to consider rehabilitating the road network and irrigation schemes in the district saying Phalombe is the food basket of the district and surrounding districts.

He gave an example of Wowo Irrigation Scheme of which 40 percent of it was damaged with the remaining 60 percent destroyed by bad soils making it difficult for people to cultivate.

18,238 families in Phalombe were affected with 124 confirmed dead and 211 still missing.

Mana/ll/mmm/pk