Rebuilding with Hope

Fanny Sayikonde is from the village of Kanthema in the

Chikwawa district of Malawi. She is 23 years old and the mother of two boys – Hope is 6 years old, and Hoseah, who is 1. She and her husband Chifundo Vintula owned their home and a plot of farm land in their village.

She smiles, saying “We had a fair life. We grew and harvested sorghum, millet and some vegetables, and that was enough food for our household for most of the year.” For the few remaining months, they relied on Chifundo’s income as a casual laborer helping to build homes. They could buy food and household essentials at the market, and seed for the next planting season.

In January, 2022, Cyclone Ana struck Malawi. Heavy rains caused the Shire River to flood, and along with hurricane force winds, Fanny’s home was washed away and their crops were destroyed.

“We heard people shouting. The water was coming into our home,” she adds. “It was up to our waist, and we only had time to rescue our boys and go to higher ground.” Leaving everything behind, they found shelter in a warehouse a few kilometers away. They remained there for a full week without food or belongings. Like many other families who lost their homes, they then moved to the Mthumba displacement camp.

The washed-out remains of Fanny and Chifundo’s Home

World Renew has partnered with Eagles to provide 3 monthly food distributions to the families in Mthumba camp. The distribution of food baskets for April and May are now completed, and one more will occur in June.

Fanny is very grateful to World Renew for the maize flour, beans, oil and salt. She feels blessed that her family has been able to receive food. “We had no money for food,” she shares, “and every morning I would think, how do I feed my family today? Now I have maize flour and beans, and my family and I are happy.”

Fanny and Hoseah

Now that the waters have receded and the rainy season has ended, Fanny, Chifundo and their boys have been able to return to their village. They are living in a temporary one room shelter along with her mother, two sisters, and their families - 13 in total.

Fanny, Hope, & Hoseah – in front of the temporary shelter they share with 10 others

They have started to rebuild their home with the bricks that could be

salvaged, but the reconstruction has now stopped. They have run out of bricks, and do not have money to buy more. Chifundo continues to search for work in an effort to generate income and to raise the funds necessary to buy the materials needed for its completion.

Re-building has started – but progress has stalled due to a lack of resources

“It is difficult at times,” Fanny states, “because there are so many people looking to do piece work (odd jobs) for others, so it will take some time to replace what we have lost.” Yet, Fanny is optimistic about their future. She believes they will eventually have enough money to finish their home, and to plant sorghum and millet seed in the next planting season.

She remains hopeful for her children, as well. “I want my children to go to school and receive a good education. Then they can find a good job in town to support themselves.”

Fanny’s faith in God remains steadfast. “I continue to pray for all these things and my faith in God is strong,” she affirms. “He brought us to safety during the flood and I trust He will continue to bless us.”

Fanny’s resilience and courage is a wonderful demonstration of her sincere trust in God – a belief that His faithfulness endures, even through life’s most difficult times.