Felesta Lyford lives in the Chikwawa district in Malawi with her three orphaned grandchildren, her adult sons Ledson and Hyfen, and Hyfen’s wife and their two children.
Rebuilding after repeated storms
In 2022, Tropical Storm Ana swept across Malawi, causing widespread devastation. Felesta and her family lost their home and farm and had to seek shelter in a displacement camp. In the two years that followed, Felesta worked hard alongside her sons, doing piece work for other farmers. Over time, she saved enough to rebuild her home and purchase millet seeds to plant on her own land.
She also cultivated a vegetable garden that helped provide nutritious meals for her family, while any surplus could be sold for extra income. Step by step, Felesta and her family were rebuilding their lives.
Then, on March 11, 2023, Cyclone Freddy struck southern Malawi, bringing renewed destruction. Felesta’s home, belongings, and farm—everything she had worked to restore—was lost once again.
“The flood waters once again came so quickly,” Felesta recalls, “that all I could do was warn my grandchildren to leave everything and move as fast as they could through the rising water. Thankfully, my son Ledson helped all of us reach higher ground and safety. Now, all that remains of my home are a few bricks lying under the sand left behind by the water.”
Felesta is now staying in Hyfen’s home, which was also damaged and is undergoing repairs.
Support for recovery and resilience
With funding from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Renew partnered with Eagles—the Malawi-based development and disaster response arm of Living Waters Church—to support families in Chikwawa district affected by Cyclone Freddy.
To meet immediate needs, families received monthly cash transfers for six months to purchase food and household essentials. To strengthen long-term food security and self-sufficiency, participants also received seeds—including maize, pigeon peas, beans, sweet potato vines, and vegetables—along with training in conservation agriculture, livestock care, business skills, and disaster risk reduction. Communities were also supported in forming Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).
“I am so thankful to be part of the project and to have received this cash,” Felesta says. “I can buy my family the essential food they need, and I can make decisions about buying other household necessities.”
With part of the support, Felesta purchased three ducks, five chickens, and a rooster.
“They provide us with fresh eggs and will soon reproduce and add more support for my household,” she shares proudly.
Felesta has also used some of the funds to pay school fees for her grandchildren.
“I want my grandchildren to go to school because it is important that they receive an education,” she explains. “This will help them to be self-sufficient when they are grown.”
Looking ahead with hope
Felesta carefully planted the seeds she received and tended her land with dedication. However, changing climate conditions have brought new challenges. Southern Malawi has experienced a severe dry spell during what would normally be the rainy season.
“I fear if the rains do not come soon, we will not have a harvest at all,” Felesta says. “But I pray to God, and I hope for the best. I continue to look to the future, when we will start winter cropping,” she adds with a smile, “and I will plant and harvest again.”
Felesta has also joined her village’s VSLA, where members save together and can access small loans to invest in rebuilding homes, improving farms, and supporting livelihoods.
“I am grateful and happy to be part of a VSLA, and I have managed to put some of the cash into savings. I will save even more in the future, and soon I will be able to take out a loan to rebuild my home,” she says.
Through World Renew, the group will also receive goats, which will multiply over time so that each member can eventually start their own herd. Felesta is hopeful about what this opportunity will bring.
“At some time, my family and I will also benefit from the goats that our VSLA will receive,” she says.
Despite the many challenges she has faced, Felesta’s faith remains steady.
“I am still strong; that is God’s blessing to me, and even though we face hardships, he continues to bless me and my family,” she says with a smile.
Moving forward with hope
Together, stories like Felesta’s are a reminder that recovery is not a single moment, but a journey shaped by resilience, community, and hope. Even in the face of repeated setbacks, her determination to rebuild, care for her family, and invest in the future reflects a quiet strength shared by many around the world who are adapting to an increasingly uncertain climate. Through faith, practical support, and the support of those around her, Felesta continues to move forward—one step, one season, and one small victory at a time.
