Rose Simawo travelled on a canoe from T/A Nyachikadza, Mpambachulu village to Ndamera village to meet the GOAL team regarding the 16 days of Activism against Violence Campaign. The Nyachikadza area is well known for flooding. Rose is 32 years old, married and has three sons aged 15, 12 and 8.
Rose is most proud of: “my happy life, friends, family and my healthy life”. She continues, “for women and girls lives to improve they need not be stamped on”. Rose has attended GOAL Malawi’s training on early warning systems through the DipECHO III and Irish Aid funded programme and recounts what she learned at the training i.e. “that the red flag means danger and a green flag means things are ok…the training has taught us to prepare beforehand…a place where we can settle when floods hit, therefore we come to the camp”. The camp that Rose speaks of is Bitilinyu evacuation centre built by GOAL in Ndamera, Nsanje. She describes the camp as “… safe, we have separate toilets for men and women”.
She compares her present situation to the one before: “we would meet so many challenges, crocodiles…our property would be destroyed, other people would go to classrooms, and other people would be destitute”. Rose appreciates the safe space available for her community including women and girls during times of flood.
- This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
- Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje