NewsLocal News

Actions

Utah Tech student from Malawi's entire village destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Freddy

Posted at 4:30 PM, Mar 17, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-20 16:27:42-04

MALAWI — The countries of Malawi and Mozambique are reeling after the longest cyclone in history.

Tropical Cyclone Freddy started as a tropical depression in early February and has finally dissipated over land.

Utah Tech student from Malawi's entire village destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Freddy

The death toll in southeast Africa is now more than 400, with nearly 100,000 people displaced. One of those is Georgina Morson, who studied nursing at Utah Tech University in St. George.

Morson returned to Malawi in December and shot video this week of the destruction of Cyclone Freddy.

Her friends say her entire village — Mwangwaule Village in Chilazulu, Malawi — was destroyed when Freddy struck for a second time last weekend. She had no idea last July when she said goodbye to her friends and family that it would be the last time she'd see them there.

As a nurse midwife, Morson has wanted to return to her village to serve pregnant girls and women — who have to walk five hours to deliver their babies in the nearest hospital.

She recorded a video in December just before she returned to Malawi.

"When I get ready, my ambition is to have a hospital in my community so that people have easy access to medical services," she said. "And at the same time, again, help girls in my community with family planning methods so that they don't get pregnant when they're young."

Morson has been trying to raise money for a hospital or medical clinic in her village. But now that her village has been destroyed, she says what's needed most is basic aid to help her people recover from this devastating cyclone. Donations can be made through her GoFundMe campaign.