NGO gives three boats to save lives during floods
Muona Foundation Organisation has supported communities in Traditional Authority Mlolo in Nsanje District with three boats worth K8.5 million as part of disaster preparedness efforts ahead of the onset of the rainy season. Besides supporting humanitarian efforts during floods, the boats will also ease people’s transportation challenges from Fatima-Muona across the Shire River to Bangula … The post NGO gives three boats to save lives during floods appeared first on Nation Online.
Black News 
Muona Foundation Organisation has supported communities in Traditional Authority Mlolo in Nsanje District with three boats worth K8.5 million as part of disaster preparedness efforts ahead of the onset of the rainy season.
Besides supporting humanitarian efforts during floods, the boats will also ease people’s transportation challenges from Fatima-Muona across the Shire River to Bangula in the district.
The organisation’s executive director William Allan said they handed over the boats to the communities after noticing how they struggle to rescue victims and property during floods.
He said: “Secondly, we wanted to help the communities cut transport costs to Bangula Town which they pay between K60 000 and K70 000 to cross the river.
“We named the boats after three women from Germany, namely Petra, Christel and Annette, who have been donating money to our organisation to uplift people’s livelihoods in the district.”
Allan appealed to Mlolo Area Development Committee (ADC) and area disaster risk management committee to safeguard the boats and use them for their intended purposes.
In his remarks, Mlolo ADC chairperson Butao Butao said the three boats will help the area’s disaster risk management committee to rescue flood victims.
He said: “Although only one boat named Petra runs by diesel while the others operate by paddles, they will guarantee safe sailing on Ruo and Shire rivers after we lost the life of a health surveillance assistant who drowned in the Ruo.
“They will also assist our farmers who cultivate on different islands, including Makhanga.”
Group village head Nsambo said his subjects will now be able to travel to Bangula or Nsanje within an hour unlike taking a 300-kilometre route via Fatima-Thekerani-Thyolo-Blantyre-Chikwawa-Nsanje Road.
“We will discuss with the disaster committee to see how best we can sustain the boats,” he said.
A farmer, Jacqueline Saizi, from Manyowa Village, who cultivates on an island popularly known as Makungu, hailed the organisation for the boats
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