In the wake of Cyclone Freddy, many community members in the Mulanje district were left in ruins, but amidst the devastation, stories of resilience emerged. With various stakeholders, Habitat for Humanity Malawi is helping survivors rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
Meet Marita Chikafa, 49, a grandmother who is caring for three grandchildren who lost their parents. She is one of the partner families that HFH Malawi, together with its partners, is supporting in constructing homes using eco-friendly and disaster-resilient materials such as stones. Before Cyclone Freddy, she lived comfortably in a well-built home, sharing a compound with two of her daughters along the riverbank in Mujiwa village.
“I cannot tell you the exact date, only that it was a day full of sorrow and sadness,” Marita recalls, reflecting on the night Cyclone Freddy hit the district.
Another partner family HFH Malawi is working with at the Nanchidwa camp is Hilda Madonna, 80, grandmother. Before the cyclone, she had built her own home, which now lies beneath a vast sandbank. In a twist of bittersweet fortune, Hilda was not living in that house at the time of the cyclone, but the disaster claimed four of her grandchildren and swept away all her belongings, leaving only rubble in its wake.
Today, both of their lives look different. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity, both Marita and Hilda now have homes—strong, safe, and secure. The trauma they once carried has begun to lift. They can once again engage with their community without the constant weight of anxiety. Sitting in the shade of their new homes, which have risen from the rubble, they both feel hopeful.
Approaching the camp, visitors travel along rough, washed-out roads. To one side stands the majestic Mulanje Mountain; to the other, a wide sandbank strewn with boulders, remnants of the disaster that ravaged the village. Before March 2023, this land was home to families who farmed and lived here, their lives upended by Cyclone Freddy. Many lost loved ones, homes, and farmland and still reside in the camp, struggling to rebuild.
Yet, amid the devastation, there is hope. HFH Malawi saw an opportunity to not only clear the rubble but to use it to build something new. For the first time, HFH Malawi is piloting the construction of five homes using the very stones and rocks that tumbled down from the mountain. These homes stand as symbols of strength, stability, and resilience in the face of disaster.
As the Bible says in Matthew 7:25, “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been found on the rock.”
This initiative marks a shift towards sustainable, locally sourced construction, demonstrating the power of turning devastation into opportunity. By utilizing the natural resources left behind by the cyclone, Habitat is building homes that are not just shelters but monuments to resilience and recovery.
In Nanchidwa camp, hope rises from the rubble, and HFH Malawi aims to ensure that this spirit of rebuilding continues, helping families not just survive but thrive.