CYCLONE FREDDY RESPONSE
THE STORM THAT SHOOK OUR NATION
Between March 12 and 13, Southern Malawi experienced 6 months of rainfall due to Cyclone Freddy. The heavy rain and wind caused mudslides on the mountains, taking out whole households. The rain and wind itself caused many poorly built homes to crumble. Across the Southern Region, 553,614 people have been displaced and are living in 540 camps. There are 537 people missing and 507 people have died.
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While this has been a national tragedy, it has created an opportunity for Brothers in Arms to reach even greater into the needs of our surrounding community. Below you will find our response to this tragedy, and how we are helping our immediate community, thanks to our faithful supporters.
BROTHERS IN ARMS GIVING BACK
OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS
We have identified eight homes to rebuild in our immediate community. Â The ones we have identified are homes for the elderly, disabled or child led families (meaning their parents have died, and teenagers/young adults take care of the other siblings).
STUDENTS GIVING BACK
Our current students have been in our program since 2018/2019. Â They have experienced complete character and heart change. Â Where they once stole and begged from the city of Blantyre, they now have hearts to give back. Â Their first project of giving back is in the immediate community surrounding our center where they are rebuilding 8 houses and 4 outdoor toilets. Â In the coming weeks they will begin to rebuild the houses of families of the students in the program.
OUR STUDENTS' FAMILIES
The majority of our students come from the township 10 minutes from the city center.  Five of our student's families have completely lost the homes they built on family land.  We will be helping them to rebuild these houses with brick and cement rather than the brick and mud they originally were built with. There are two other families that we are connected with in this township that we will also help to rebuild their houses.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
While we have teams in Mbayani building houses, we will also bring students to lead outreaches in the camps where displaced families are staying. Â The focus will be to bring messages of hope through the student's testimonies, as well as education and warning about going to the street. Â Many of our students went to the streets in years past when their houses collapsed.
