A 70-year-old woman from Machinjiri in Blantyre identified as Ida Zembesani walked from Blantyre-Ndirande to Thyolo-Thava, which is a distance of about 40 kilometers, to help in sourcing funds to buy food for families affected by rising hunger and malnutrition levels.
The three days fundraising big walk nick-named 'walk for hunger', which was organised by Chimbota Community Development Organisation (CDO) in partnership with Daughters and Sons of Ndirande, was patronized with over 100 people including women and youths.
In an interview on Sunday after reaching Thyolo-Thava, Gogo Zembesani born in March 1952 said she decided to join the fundraising big-walk as one way of assisting people who are in need of food in Blantyre and Thyolo Thava.
Senior Chief Mphuka of Thyolo district said nearly 99 percent of his subjects are affected by hunger. He added that people were surviving on Mangoes but now the mango season is over and now they are "helpless and hopeless".
"Only 100 out of 67,000 households have food in their houses as we are talking," said Senior Chief Mphuka, who also commended Chimbota CBO for the initiative which according to him will help to address hunger situation in his area.
On her part, Miss Culture Malawi Ireen Navicha who also joined the fundraising big-walk from Thyolo Boma to Thava called upon government and other concerned stakeholders to help families affected by hunger in the country.
She described the current hunger situation in the country as a matter of urgency saying: "People are suffering; many are sleeping on an empty stomach with no hope for tomorrow. Government and all concerned parties should quickly intervene,"
According to Chimbota CDO co-Director, Kelvin Troughton, the big-walk targeted to raise about K100 million (One Hundred Million kwacha) for the Zanjara Project.
The Zanjara Project, an initiative by Chimbota CDO, targets families affected by hunger in Malawi's Blantyre and Thyolo districts.
To reach their ambitious fundraising goal, Chimbota CDO plans to engage business leaders, organizations, and donor NGOs for support.
The organization hopes that the combination of the big walk and these additional efforts will help raise the necessary funds to combat hunger in Malawi.
"We are targeting to raise K100 million; and we are hoping to reach the targeting within the next few weeks," said Troughton, adding that big-walk was just a warm up for the main fundraising drive which will involve reaching out to various people and organizations.
The hunger situation in Malawi has been exacerbated by planting delays in many regions, leading to concerns about the upcoming harvest and next year's fertilizer prices.
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According to sources, many people are resorting to wild plants for survival, raising concerns about their long-term health and well-being.
With so much at stake, the Zanjara Project's efforts to provide aid to those most in need are more vital than ever before.
The Blantyre-Ndirande to Thyolo-Thava big walk serves as a powerful symbol of unity and determination in the face of adversity.
With the help of business leaders, organizations, and NGOs, the Zanjara Project may be able to make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by hunger in Blantyre and Thyolo districts.
