Foundation for a new start

“…We did not manage to get away with anything except the clothes we were wearing at that moment.” Mary, a 42-year-old single mother of five and resident of Napenga village remembers the day she had to leave her house. 

Tropical storm Ana made landfall in Mozambique on 24 January 2022 and later headed for southern Malawi. The storm triggered torrential rains over most areas of Malawi with highest rainfall amounts recorded in the southern region of the country.   

The storm caused massive destruction of houses, bridges, roads, schools and other infrastructure, loss of livestock due to drowning, flooding of crops and contamination of water sources. Thousands of people were displaced, and many found themselves in temporary camps.  

Mary was among them. After losing their home, she and her family took refuge in a camp. When her husband decided he no longer wanted to live in the camp, he left her and the children there, and went to live with another woman.   

Mary faced serious financial challenges as a single mother. She feared she would not be able to meet and sustain the household’s basic needs alone. When the camp closed down, she rented a house thanks to a loan she was able to obtain, but she really wanted to have her own place again. 

Thankfully, Plan International provided her with shelter materials and kitchen items to help rebuild her home and feed her family. She says she is happy to have a home again. “If not for these items I would continue to struggle with rentals which I know I wouldn’t afford,” she says.  

Today, Mary has a foundation for a new start. “I am very grateful to Plan International for the assistance. As you can see, I am able to rebuild my house,” she says, as she stands proudly by her new home.