Flood Victims in Balaka, Salima Hails WOLREC for the Humanitarian Response

399 Families Supported in Balaka while 465 Reached in Salima district 

Food Distribution in Progress in Balaka district

Flash floods affected Communities of Salima and Balaka districts that have expressed thanks to ‘Women’s Legal Resource Centre’ (WOLREC) a Women Rights organization for its humanitarian assistance to families that were affected by the disaster.

As part of WOLREC’s project of Promoting Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment (PROWESE) the institution distributed assorted relief items worth K6.5 million in the areas of Traditional Authorities Chanthunya and Sawali in Balaka district and Maganga as well as Mwanza in Salima district since 25 February, 2015.

Up to 399 affected families in Balaka received various relief items including laundry soap, sachets of chlorine powder (for water treatment), Maize flour, and blankets while in Salima 465 beneficiaries have further been given 3 tonnes of Cassava Stems and Sweet Potato Veins following requests by the victims themselves after realizing that maize and legume planting season is almost gone.

Some of the beneficiaries in Salima district 

Speaking during distribution exercise in his area, Group Village Head Kaniche of Salima district, expressed grateful for the timely response to their predicament. He, however, was quick to say that the gesture was beyond their expectation “WOLREC, is our friend indeed. When we got a call that you are ready to help us, we did not think that was possible.”

“You have shown us how much you care for us far beyond our expectation,” he said with jubilation and further asked WOLREC to continue with similar types of aids.

One beneficiary, Mai Esnala John of Msambafumu, a mother of 6 children was equally grateful. After her maize garden got washed away she did not know what to do as her husband is not involved in any income generating activities. The husband cannot walk after a sickness that left him paralyzed. She says medical expenses have depleted her savings (her Village Savings and Loan VSL) as such her business (selling sweet beer – thobwa and maize flour fritters – zitumbuwa) has been affected.

Woman looks at her washed away garden

Esnala said the bag of flour she got was going to go a long way. Her family will have proper meals for a few days and the cassava stems will assure her of an alternative harvests and source of income other than the maize.

Several other beneficiaries said the aid will help them rebuild their businesses as they will at least concentrate on the same for a few days when they will be using the items received from the response.

“We are supporting flood victims with immediate material needs to help cope with their everyday livelihoods as a result of the flash floods for improved livelihood” said Programmes Officer for WOLREC Gift Mauluka who added, “We decided to help flood victims in Salima with cassava cuttings and potato veins for replanting in fields where crops were washed away or destroyed”

Washed away maize field in Balaka district

“Through an assessment that WOLREC conducted, it was found that Members of Village Savings and Loan (VSLs) that WOLREC work with in the PROWESE project, have also not been spared.” enlighten the WOLREC Programmes Officer

Mauluka further indicated that 399 (287 female headed households) and 465 (302 female headed households) in Balaka and Salima respectively were affected in different ways, “VSL members have lost their houses; livestocks and crop fields have been washed away or their fields have been water-logged to the extent that it is impossible to cultivate the fields; and some have their household items completely destroyed.” 

WOLREC has made the donation through financial assistance from Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (SOIR) a partner working with the institution in a project on Women Economic Empowerment.

Over 15 districts in Malawi including Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe and Zomba are some of the worst hit areas by this year’s devastating floods in memory. Floods have destroyed many hectares of fields where people had already planted different types of crops. Livestock have been destroyed; roads and bridges have been washed away, thereby disturbing socio-economic activities of most people. 

Malawi was declared as a State of Disaster with effect from 13th January 2015 when President Peter Mutharika in accordance with powers conferred upon him by section 32 (1) of the Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act, declared all the districts affected by floods Disaster Areas. 

ActionAid, UN Women, WOLREC Excited With Passing of Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill

ActionAid, UN Women, WOLREC Excited With Passing of Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill 

The passing of Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill by the National Assembly on Thursday evening has brought joy to civil society organisation particularly institutions working in promotion of rights of women, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls related issues.

Immediately after the house passed the bill, gender activists who attended the national assembly deliberations in the day were excited that finally "the battle is won"

"Am very happy that the bill has been passed" said Julie Juma Regional and Thematic Manager for Education and Youth at ActionAid Malawi "This is something that we have been fighting for since 2009 and it is going to bring a big difference to our advocacy work on child marriages and it will help us to end child marriages now that we have a legal backing" 

Alice Harding Shackelford a country representative for UN Women in Malawi also shared her happiness and how UN Women has received the development "Ooh! We are excited, we are excited!" she said, "We are crying with joy and we are happy that finally the parliament has taken this step. It has been a long journey for the civil society and for the ministry"

"We know this is one step but very important step" she continued and thanked parliamentarians, civil society which kept advocating on the bill and congratulated "all the girls who are keeping hope eye in Malawi"

In an email response Women's Legal Resource Center (WOLREC) Programmes Officer Gift Mauluka said "This is a very good news. It is one of the great things that this government will be remembered for. The passing of the bill is one of those things which shows that government has the interest  of the people as long as gender equality issues are concerned."

Commenting on legal technicalities observed in the bill particularly on raising of the marriage age from 15 to 18 years which is being considered as in gross conflict with Constitution provision in section 22 (7) "For persons between the age of fifteen and eighteen years a marriage shall only be entered into with the consent of their parents or guardians.", Julie Juma reacted that "The technicalities are always there" but Malawians should be happy that now there is a legal backing people can refer to and the other processes can be done from "now onwards"

Alice Harding Shackelford said on the same "There are many steps one is, we need the president to assent the bill, we need a bit of enforcement of the bill, we need to work with ministry of justice which is already in support of the bill and working on the amendment of constitution a package which is already in preparation" 

She also highlighted "We need to start working on distribution and dissemination (of the bill) to make sure that law enforcement, judiciary, traditional authorities and others are aware that this is now being enforced by peace of legislation. So we have a lot of work to do and a lot of efforts but I think this shows that if we work together change is possible"

CSOs Dates Law Makers on Passing Trafficking in Persons Bill, Minimum Marriage Age Bill

CSOs Dates Law Makers on Passing Trafficking in Persons Bill, Minimum Marriage Age Bill

Several Civil Society Organisations working in the fight for Women and Children rights on Monday engaged members of Parliament encouraging them to pass two bills 'The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill of 2015 and Trafficking in Persons Bill.

Among others members were individually approached to emphasize that the two bills are very important for the best interest of Malawians because they will help to support traditional leader's efforts to stop marriages below the age of 18. And they have strength to curb human trafficking which Malawi is being rated a country registering highest incidences due to lack of specific anti trafficking legislation and porous borders. CSOs indicates that in 2014 alone, there were 2000 estimated cases of trafficking, with 500 police cases that have been handled by various partners.

Programme Officer for Women's Legal Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) Mr. Gift Mauluka said two bills are on the order paper and wanted to interact with all members of parliament highlighting them "importance and advantages of passing the bills"

He said CSOs are proposing the marriage age to be above 18 years but members can even reach a bold decision to raise the age to 21 "even under consent of parents"

"We want the bill to be above the current age of 15 because of the complications that come about if a person is under that age and when they are in a marriage. We feel that 18 years is  comfortable age to say that a person can be in a marriage and can give birth properly"

Mauluka said of the Marriage Bill "As advocates we don't see a lot of contentious issues that need do be re-looked for it it to be passed. Very often the Law is not 100% positive, but currently the bill as it is we feel it is in good position to be passed"