T

he past week has been one like no other, due to the Tropical Cyclone Freddy which rocked Southern Region since Sunday.

Drizzle by drizzle and breeze by breeze, the effect of the cyclone culminated into a disaster which few found the right and precise words and expressions to capture its magnitude and the degree of damage. In simpler terms, the cyclone has been devastating and heartbreaking.

Images and video clips showing dead bodies or people gasping for their last breath in their battle for survival surpassed scenarios one would normally find in a warzone. It was heart-wrenching to watch families give in as all their property got swept by the violent gushes of water.

Sadly, the three or so days happenings have changed the lives of some people forever. Individuals have lost property they may never replace. Some have lost loved ones they will never see again. Entire families have perished. 

The stories shared by the survivors were hard to stomach. The sight of what remains was painful to watch. The Tropical Cyclone Freddy has etched sour memories that will torment our minds for a long time. 

This disaster delivered upon us so many lessons too. The general approach and reaction in some instances has been nothing, but deplorable. The manner in which some people shared the images and video clips of this tragedy was unfortunate.

It appears at some point we forgot that what may just be a mere statistic to one, is a relatable face to someone. That picture of a dead person, is a brother or son to someone. I believe in our excitement or ignorance we sometimes forget some responsibilities that fall upon us as beings.

The tools that technology has brought us ought to be used with utmost care and utter sensitivity. One always needs to carefully fitter what they feed the space because the range of consumption of such content is so wide and diverse.

Again, this catastrophe displayed the oneness that is in us as a people. The response that was made showed that despite some immaterial boundaries that set our existence apart, we are one people after all capable of fighting for one another.

Groups, individuals and organisations adopted the disaster as their own. It was fulfilling to see how people pitched up all in efforts to cushion the pain and distress those affected had been subjected to.

It was encouraging to see that the creative and social fronts were not left behind in offering their assistance to the affected families. Of particular mention is the charity and social grouping Land Rover Defenders Club Blantyre Chapter who showed an immense amount of selflessness.

The team volunteered to take part in the evacuation of the disaster victims from the first day and eventually became the coordinating focal point of the assistance that was flowing in courtesy of other initiatives.

The group zigzagged through the affected areas ferrying families to safer shelters almost around the clock. That act of courage earned them respect among many Malawians. It is a spirit that certainly needs to be emulated.

Events organiser Alpha Arts also inked their piece of goodwill. The team led in feeding families which were displaced in Ndirande Township in a partnership venture with Amaryllis Hotel. That too was commendable.

Many other players such as the Musicians Union of Malawi and Ngale Arts Centre also rolled out various response initiatives of their own.

The strength of a people or any establishment lies in the ability to draw lessons even from the very negative developments. This disaster has reminded us the strength which we derive when we operate together as one block and one people.

No matter how huge a problem is, but once it is tackled in unison, it becomes easy to surmount. As we continue counting the losses let us also remember the positives we managed to score as a unified force in the face of the calamity that befell us. May the souls of all the people we lost rest in peace!

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