Malawi: Tobacco Companies Donate Relief Items

Source from:  Malawi News Agency 03/17/2015

Companies working in the country's tobacco industry Friday donated relief items worth K12.8 million to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (D0DMA)

The donations were in response to President, Prof. Peter Mutharika's appeal for help so that the government could deal with the effects of disasters.

The donated items included sugar, clothes, cups, water buckets and maize flour.

Making the donation, Bruce Munthali, Chief Executive Officer for Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) who also represented the tobacco companies, said the tobacco family believed that the consequences of floods and other related calamities were not government-made.

As such, Munthali said, the responsibility to deal with the challenges could not be left to government alone, but other organisations of good will should come in to render help.

"When the President declared a state of disaster, we sat down in the tobacco industry and thought of the kind of help we could give to the government.

"We consulted the disaster department and today, I am happy that we have managed to respond to the needs of the affected people," Munthali said.

He said the donation marked fulfillment of corporate social responsibility the tobacco industry had to the nation, particularly the farmers.

"Among the people affected are farmers and we cannot sit idle watching them suffering in pain," he said.

Meanwhile, Munthali said the tobacco industry had asked its foreign customers to come in and help the country in its struggle to improve lives of people affected by the floods.

Paul Chiunguzeni, Commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, hailed the tobacco industry for what he called timely its response.

He said the donated items would go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the affected people.

"As you may be aware, people are still in camps in various districts. This poses a big challenge to the nation. We still need help from well wishers," Chiunguzeni said.

"On behalf of the Malawi government, I am very grateful to the tobacco industry for this kind gesture. This will help to reduce the pressure exerted on us."

Malawi experienced heavy rains during the first days of the season that caused floods in 13 districts and displaced about 2,500 families. The Lower Shire is the worst hit area. Enditem