Malawi Earthquakes 2009

Karonga/Kaporo, in the northernmost District in Malawi, was hit with the third earthquake in 12 days on Sunday, December 20, 2009. The Sunday earthquake was a 6.2 on the Richter Scale.

Mr. Lewis Silungwe, MMM’s Field Officer in the Karonga area, says the situation is desperate and this is the rainy season. People (men, women, boys, girls, old people, babies) are sleeping outside. They are struggling to make and find temporary shelter.

On December 23, 2009 Tom Logan received this email from the Head Master of the Karonga School for the Hearing Impaired (a school MMM is helping to build).

“Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
        Thank you very much for the school supplies we received twenty mattresses and a number of teaching and learning items.
        The school block was completed, unfortunately it has been affected by the earthquakes which started on the 6th of December 2009 and they are continuing we do not know when they will stop. The hostel, the newly built classroom and my house have developed many cracks. Most buildings in Karonga have fallen and the President has declared it a disaster zone. We are currently sleeping outside in grass shelters as it is rainy season now. We are now living in fear we have never experienced such a thing in our lives. School children have been sent home for Christmas and New Year holidays plus with the situation at hand we cannot keep the Children for fear the earthquakes.

      Would you please pray for us?
      We wish you merry Christmas and happy New Year.
      God bless, C K Mondwe.”

The need is urgent. Marion Medical Mission has promised $100,000 to purchase plastic sheets for temporary shelter and food with the faith that we will receive donations to cover this pledge.

Marion Medical Mission is moving as fast as we can. Mr. Khosa, MMM’s Coordinator, is organizing our efforts. We have a Karonga/Kaporo team on the ground made up of Mr. Silungwe, our Karonga Field Officer, our Kaporo Shallow Well Installation Supervisors and shallow well maintenance people. They lost their homes as a result of this tragedy; yet, all are working to provide assistance to those in the most need. They are (and have been) distributing plastic sheets for temporary shelter.

We contacted the relief organization Shelter Box and they have shipped 200 tents, 200 blankets and 200 kitchen sets to Malawi. Shelter Box, with the help of Marion Medical Mission’s Karonga team that includes Mr. Fiskani Chirwa and Synod of Livingstonia officials, began distribution of the Shelter Box items on January 3, 2010. Much more is needed and Shelter Box is making arrangements to ship additional tents and supplies. I have expressed our appreciation for their help and efficiency.

The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Livingstonia has sent out a plea to their congregations asking for assistance for those displaced by the earthquake.

There is much to do and so much more needed. Mr. Khosa reported on January 2, 2010 that “the need is greater than put in some reports that consider only those people at the camp. The greater number of people remain in their villages because of the need to watch over their goats, chickens, cows and crops.”

We continue to pray for those who are suffering and without shelter, as we humbly seek God’s guidance and realize we have another mountain to climb.

Northern Malawi Hit by Major Earthquakes - December 2009

Some Articles about the problem can be seen here: