Habitat for Humanity Malawi is hosting Akira Akazawa, Director of Impact and Influence from Habitat for Humanity Great Britain. His visit to Malawi aims to engage with and learn from the communities benefiting from Habitat Malawi’s interventions.
During his stay, Akira visited key interventions, including the Nkhwazi and Bester rescue centers in Chikwawa, built by Habitat in 2021 in response to Cyclone Idai. In Chikwawa, he interacted with community members, particularly elderly residents still living in these centers, to better understand their needs. Habitat Malawi established these centers to provide disaster relief and serve as safe havens during crises. The centers also serve additional purposes: the Bester center functions as a Community-Based Childcare Centre (CBCC), and a voter registration centre, while the Nkhwazi center operates as an antenatal and ART clinic.
Akira also visited Namchidwa Camp, where he engaged with communities affected by Cyclone Freddy who are being relocated to a newly built model village by Habitat Malawi. The project targets 96 households, and so far, 52 houses have been constructed. Witnessing the cyclone’s impact firsthand, Akira reviewed the interventions implemented by Habitat Malawi at the camp. These interventions involve the use of Stabilized Soil Blocks (SSB), Cement blocks, and Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSB), materials produced at Habitat Malawi’s SSB plant with financial support from various stakeholders, including Habitat Great Britain.
Habitat Malawi remains committed to supporting the community and looks forward to partnering with others to raise resources for the construction of the remaining 44 houses, ensuring all families have access to decent housing.
