By Rosalia Kapiri

Mchinji, May 2, Mana: The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Friday concluded the final phase of its Lean Season Response maize distribution in Mchinji District, marking the end of a nationwide effort that has reached 5.7 million people since September 2024.

The final distribution exercise took place at Gandali Full Primary School ground in Traditional Authority (TA) Dambe’s area, where households impacted by El Niño-related food shortages received relief maize.

DoDMA’s Director of Preparedness and Response, Moses Chimphepo, commended the community’s resilience and stressed responsible food use.

“We all know about the El Niño which affected crops in the country. Government mobilized resources to help people for four months. We are now distributing the last phase,” he said.

Chimphepo emphasized the maize was strictly for consumption: “This is not for sale. It is to help food security in your household. The maize you harvest should be stored and used wisely, not wasted or sold.”

The initiative, supported by the World Bank and implemented through the World Food Programme (WFP), was carried out in 21 districts.

Chimphepo noted that government managed to mobilize over 87% of the needed resources.

“In some districts, we distributed three or four times, but everyone received at least twice. So far, so good. The challenge is big, but we’ve done a tremendous job,” he said.

Chimphepo encouraged communities to embrace food budgeting: “The harvest should be properly stored and rationed. Sometimes people sell all their produce and later need support again. It’s a shared responsibility between government and citizens.”

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the support. Dorothy John, 34, from Chimwala Village, thanked “government for bailing us out from hunger. We didn’t expect this, but we are grateful.”

Senior Group Chimwala also praised the programme, saying: “People had nowhere to turn to. With this support, people are now happy. I urge my people not to sell the maize.”

With the relief programme coming to an end as the harvest season begins, authorities hope the food security lessons learned will carry communities forward into a more stable and self-reliant future.