Events That Don’t Make The News - Cyclone Freddy Update
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
- Martin Luther (1529)
Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi
The news cycle is a limiting thing. There is so much going on all over the world, and reporters are often forced to make decisions (for better or worse) on what stories to include. Yet simply because certain natural disasters do not make our nightly news does not mean these events are insignificant! ARDF is extremely grateful for our connections through the Anglican Church which enable us to hear about events and respond to our brothers and sisters all over the world. We are equally grateful for our General Relief Fund which enables us to send funding to survivors of natural disasters all over the world, even if those in the United States have not heard of the event!
One major disaster event which got little press in the United States was Tropical Cyclone Freddy. In February and March 2023, Cyclone Freddy traveled for over 5 weeks, making landfall in Madagascar, then striking Mozambique, then reversing course and striking both countries a second time. Cyclone Freddy finally stalled over Mozambique and Malawi, inundating both countries with heavy rainfall. This resulted in flooded fields and destroyed croplands, landslides that buried an entire village, and a worsening of the already ongoing cholera outbreak in those countries. Approximately a half a million people are displaced and in temporary shelters in these countries.
Teams in Malawi distributing food.
Shortly after the cyclone landed, ARDF responded by sending funds from our General Relief Fund directly to three Anglican dioceses in the affected areas. In Madagascar, the Diocese of Fianarantsoa used funds to rebuild seven churches and two schools that were destroyed. In Mozambique, the Anglican Missionary Diocese of Zambezia provided relief aid for ten churches and two rectories that were destroyed, as well as thousands of people without shelter, while also attending to the growing cholera outbreak. They mobilized trained disaster response “Life Teams” to distribute clean water, food, blankets, and school materials. In Malawi, the Diocese of Southern Malawi is providing aid within a government established relief camp in Mulanje District, with over 8,000 households. They are using ARDF funds to provide food, hygiene kits, medical supplies, and tarps for shelter. For some perspective, this is just one of 750 such relief camps for about 150,000 households in Malawi.
Please pray for the churches and communities affected by Cyclone Freddy:
Pray for wisdom for the government, community, and church leaders in Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi as they seek to meet the relief needs and rebuild communities affected by repeated cyclones over the past several years.
Pray for health and an end to the spread of cholera and other water borne diseases.
Pray for the many families displaced by the flooding, for hope and a new beginning.
Pray for the Anglican Church to reach out as the loving hands of Jesus, and for the Anglican Bishops in those areas: Bishop Ratelson, Bishop Msosa, and Bishop Alinafe.
Pray for provision of the aid needed: specifically shelter, clean water/sanitation, and food to replace lost crops.
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