FDH Bank presents K200m towards construction of climate-resilient houses
The innovative campaign which FDH Group initiated in June to mobilize funds to build climate-resilient houses for Cyclone Freddy-induced flood survivors, raised K200 million and the funds have been handed over to Phalombe and Chiradzulu District Commissioners.
FDH Group, which had already committed to build two houses, introduced the funds mobilising campaign with its staff across the country through which they were wearing the jersey for Malawi national football team, the Flames, every Friday and donating a minimum of K1,000 or more.
Dubbed ‘A Penny 4 Change-Flames Freddy Friday; Lets Rebuild Houses’, the campaign ran for 12 weeks and with a contribution from FDH Bank Plc, it totalled K200 million.
At the presentation ceremony on Thursday, FDH Bank Managing Director, Noel Mkulichi announced that they will build about 30 houses from the funds with K70 million each reserved for Chiradzulu and Phalombe Districts, K30 million for Habitat for Humanity and K30 million through other partners.
“We are all aware of the disaster that hit the country earlier this year — the Cyclone Freddy that was so devastating, especially here in the Southern Region and we were not prepared to deal with the magnitude of the damage.
“As much as months have passed by and Government and various organisations, including the Joyce Banda Foundation have been working tirelessly to restore what was lost; there is still a lot to be done and we should all come together to assist where possible.
“As FDH Bank Plc, we have decided to offer further support to Cyclone Freddy Victims that is directed towards rehabilitating people who lost houses during the disaster.
“FDH Bank has a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) portfolio under the umbrella FDH Cares with four pillars; This support falls under Our People and Our Community — but still it encompasses the other pillars of Our Economy and Our Environment.”
Mkulichi also reiterated that soon after Cyclone Freddy struck, FDH Bank swiftly moved in with emergency relief package to Phalombe, Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Chikwawa, Blantyre, Mangochi, Nsanje, Zomba and Mwanza adding up to K100 million.
The Bank has also invested K10 million towards Presidential Charity Golf tournament scheduled for October 7 at Lilongwe Golf Club, whose proceeds are aimed at supporting survivors of Cyclone Freddy — as well as towards assisting needy tertiary students’ academic needs.
Mkulichi emphasized that this is all part of commemorating FDH Bank Plc’s 15th Anniversary (Magical 15), saying: “This is a huge part of our contribution to the community as we have remained committed to giving back to the community we operate in over the years.
“I urge all of us to work together to help the people that were worst hit by the disaster and I trust that we will have a progressive working relationship with the District Councils as we execute this project.”
In his vote of thanks, Phalombe District Commissioner, Douglas Moffat made an emphasis that FDH Bank is able to appreciate the suffering of Freddy survivors since they have a huge footprint in rural Malawi through its 52 branches — including Likoma Island — and over 6,000 Banki Pakhomo agents.
“You are able to appreciate what people are going through, most of them your customers,” he said. “Your contribution towards building these people’s houses is an investment that has not gone to waste as it will uplift their livelihood since a household is dominantly a basic need.”
Moffat highlighted that Cyclone Freddy left over 300 households homeless, claimed many lives and destroyed crops as some areas were completely drowned with mud and big rock boulders.
“But I must say that we are proud of the survivors for their resilience as they lifted themselves up by doing winter farming. As you are aware, soon after Cyclone Freddy struck, tomatoes went scare that led to its prices to skyrocket.
“Through winter cropping, people in Phalombe managed to reap good yield of tomatoes and today, its market price went drastically down. This shows some resilience on their part and once the houses are completed, they would go back to their normal lives.”
On his part, Chiradzulu DC, Francis Matewere said they erected 44 relief camps which were long decommissioned but one is still being serviced and they target them for the 10 houses they would build.
He pledged that they are set to hit the ground running as land is available donated by Mikolongwe Poutry Farm and that each beneficiary will be allocated 30 by 20 metres — enough for them to construct their own other amenities.
For Phalombe, another assistance to build houses for survivors is being championed by former Presidents, Bakili Muluzi (1994-2004) and Joyce Banda (2012-2014), as ambassadors for President Lazarus Chakwera’s campaign #TigwiraneManja# (let’s hold our hands together).
Meanwhile, the ‘Wear Flames Jersey’ campaign was first touted by FDH Bank in 2021 when the national team qualified for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Cameroun in 2022.
It was FDH Bank’s expression to boost morale being the official sponsor of the Flames and fully embrace the Flames’ AFCON qualification that was dubbed ‘FDH Flames Friday’.
FDH Bank has been the official sponsor of the Flames for the past seven years and in 2019, bank raised the bar in cup sponsorship by unveiling the FDH Bank Cup, which is currently at the Round of 32 for the 2023 edition — whose champions shall walk away with K30 million.
The Bank also supports Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) for its activities to do with the glamorous Malawi Queens, who were greatly supported at this year Netball World Cup held in South Africa where they ended 7th.
All this is on top of the sponsorship contract that FDH Bank has with the country’s four cities, Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Zomba and Blantyre, through the Mayor’s Trophy, which is a grassroots level tournaments for primary schools.
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