CARD to implement emergency food assistance project in Dowa district

The Churches Action in Relief and Development ( CARD) will implement emergency food assistance project to households that have been affected by prolonged dry spells, stormy winds and flash floods which has resulted to low crop yields targeting 2,700 in Dowa district.

The emergency food assistance project will be implemented in the areas of three traditional authorities Mponela, Msakambewa and Dzoole for 4 months from April to July and vulnerable households will receive food items between end May to early June, 2026 where beneficiaries will go away with 100 Kilograms maize, 4 Litres cooking oil and 10 Kilograms beans.

Beneficiaries of the project will be sensitized to take out 3 Kilograms beans for winter planting thereby multiplying the seeds.

Presenting the project to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, the organization’s Projects Officer Chifundo Samati Macheka, said Malawi is facing severe food insecurity during lean season, climate shocks ( dry spells and erratic rainfall), high food prices, transport costs, Kwacha devaluation, and households are struggling to meet minimum food needs.

Macheka said according to MVAC report (2025) Dowa district is affected by rising staple food prices eroding purchasing power and early exhaustion of household food stocks.

She said many families in the district are unable to meet minimum food consumption needs, reliance on negative coping strategies ( skipping meals, eating wild foods, selling assets and risk of malnutrition and vulnerability escalation.

The officer said the emergency food assistance will be implemented by Catholic Relief Services ( CRS) and CARD in coordination with DoDMA and district stakeholders targeting 2,700 vulnerable households, the funding is from Lattel Day Saint Charities of Australia

” Over 75 percent of the total budget is allocated to in – kind distribution (goods and services) demonstrating a strong focus on program delivery to beneficiaries,” said Macheka.

She said the emergency food assistance is expected to prevent deterioration of food consumption, reduce reliance on harmful coping strategies, protect vulnerable households during lean season and strengthen community resilience.

Macheka finally called for national and district – level coordination, collaboration to prevent duplication and maximizing impact so that together, they can safeguard households in Dowa district.

Station Officer for Dowa Police Station Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mac Donald Khalira, appealed to partners implementing relief items to the citizens to involve the police during both the registration of beneficiaries and distribution exercises to curb ghost names from finding their way in the beneficiary registers.

And in her remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development Mercy Mpakule, called on CARD to be tactical when targeting names of beneficiaries leaving the job to the committees saying these people register family names leaving out the well – deserved beneficiaries