Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS), in partnership with Phalombe District Council with financial support from the International FederaFundtion of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) through the Global Climate Resilience Platform Polled Fund initiative, conducted a two-day flood risk awareness campaign in five Group Village Heads (GVH) areas under Traditional Authority Chiwalo.
The initiative, which began on March 16, 2026, was part of the Scaling Up Locally Led Adaptation to Climate Change (SLLA) project. Running from November 2025 to October 2026, the project aims to support vulnerable communities in flood-prone areas of southern Malawi to be alert following the alert on intensive rainfall that was issued by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services.
The awareness targeted GVHs Chiwalo, Mpinda, Mlambe, Nthambura,Nambera and other areas through a combination of community meetings, school-based awareness sessions, household visits, and public address system announcements.
Through door-to-door engagements, a total of 540 people were reached, comprising 175 females, 211 males, and 154 youths. Among these, 28 persons with disabilities and 29 elderly individuals also benefited from the awareness messages. Additionally, the public address system proved instrumental in extending the awareness reach, with 4,600 community members—1,800 males and 2,800 females—receiving life-saving information.
Under GVH Chiwalo, the outreach extended to eleven village heads, who received critical information to share with their communities. Furthermore, two members of the Village Disaster Risk Management members from each of the aforementioned Communities supported in the awareness efforts.
At Dindi Primary School, 50 learners—22 boys and 28 girls—took part in flood preparedness discussions. One student shared the challenges faced during heavy downpours, emphasizing how preparedness can protect both lives and education.
Yamikani Mose, Area Disaster Risk Management Committee (ADRMC) chairperson, commended the initiative for bridging the information gap in rural areas. "Most rural areas do not have access to these timely messages," he said, highlighting the project's focus on strengthening community capacity to anticipate and respond to floods.
Chance Muwama, District Manager for Phalombe, underscored the value of such engagements. "Investing in community awareness is investing in resilience because informed communities are better equipped to reduce risks, respond early, and recover faster from floods," he explained.
The initiative successfully delivered life-saving information to a large number of community members, reinforcing local preparedness and resilience.