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| Silvestre's children sheltered two days on a roof escaping the floods |
The morning started on a very sad
note, hearing from our hardworking technician Silvestre, who had been stranded
the first days on a roof.
“From our side things do not look well.
As the waters lowered slightly on Friday, we decided to
enter the water and escape from Chokwe into Chiaquelane with the family. This
way we hope to escape from the floods that are supposed to persist during the
week according to local news reports.
One of the biggest problems affecting us now is hunger and long queues to access the
fresh water fountain.
When the waters started flooding the village we took
refuge on the roof of cement houses together with the owners of these houses,
as the simpler [non-brick] family huts started crumbling down. As we were still
on the roof when the water level started lowering, some of the villagers at
street level went looting around and stole many of the goods they could find,
including my own. All my belongings were taken, even the metal plates to cover
my house, as I had brought only some clothes with me.
To leave from Chókwe to Chiaquelene was not easy either…
people with a car are renting transportation
and while I had close to nothing I had to do it because people will always pay
to save their lives.
Please help us find the means to get food as we cannot
cope with our hunger much longer... "
Since this morning, ALG made
contact with an old partner in neighboring Chiaquelane, Sister Isaura, who has
agreed to help us. It is an area still protected from the floods where our Portuguese
sister charity UPG sponsored projects in the past.
Together with Brother Licinio,
Sister Isaura is trying to reach out to Silvestre and so many others to provide
them support. Silvestre may have access
to a temporary house from a friend to host him, his wife, and his little
daughters in the next few hours. We are hopeful that food also reaches him before
end of the day, but our efforts to distribute goods remain limited by the
difficulties in travel.
Help our emergency appeal
by making your donation here
Every Little Gesture Counts!
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