Chokwe Floods Update: Manjangue – News From our Technician Silvestre

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

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts!

Centre Reborn for Hope - Update on Emergency Flood Situation in Mozambique

The situation in Centre Reborn for Hope is not yet very encouraging and the UPG volunteers feel somewhat unable to deal with the lack of means to resolve the situation.  We are not just talking about financial means, but all the infra-structure associated to the floods.  The roads are blocked and broken in multiple places and there is still no access to the area from the outside.  The water from the water well is not enough for the population that came from the low lands to take rescue in Mount Chirrundzo, where the Centre is. 

Other news are more encouraging - the soldiers retained locally by the floods were now able to find a small boat that may help carry food supplies once brother Licinio is able to (finally) arrive to the area. 

From the "other side", Brother Licinio left Maputo at dawn with water, food and a power generator with his helper Joaquim and other Priests.  
The volunteers have taken encouragement in these news, and also as they heard of the word of mouth that starts to raise awareness for the local situation and all the funds that have been donated to ALG. 

The populations that were left homeless are now settling in next to the Center Reborn for Hope until further developments.

Emergency Appeal - Update on the Floods (midday)

Chokwé

Our local partner Hilário was finally able to descend from the roof of his house, where the water lowered to knee high, by improvising a boot and a cane from his father, with the help from the neighbours.  He was able to go to Macia, 40km away, where he managed to get access to medical assistance.  He has now received medical care and has no fever, but he is still recovering from a very deep wound.  He was able to charge his phone and send us some news and is now trying to gather safe water to take back home. He reports that there is still some food in the village which people and families share amongst themselves.

Part of his report is beyond what we are able to conceive from this side of the world of A Little Gesture.  People relieve their basic needs wherever they can.  The children are thirsty and drink the stagnated waters from the floods unaware of the health hazard.

Brother Licínio @ Maputo

Brother Licinio has now received the generous offer from a power generator from the company Canon in Maputo.  This way he can now buy some mackerel for cooking and strengthen food aid for the children.  The problem of lack of petrol in the Mount Chirrundzo (Orphan Center CRPE - Reborn for Hope) is not yet resolved and the Brother is trying to bring it from Maputo.

Orphan Centre CRPE - Reborn for Hope 

The UPG Volunteers have done an evaluation of the river and it is still impossible that it can be crossed by vehicles. The only way to cross the river is swimming so Brother Licínio is now looking for adult volunteers in the area to be mobilized for the transport of goods to the other side of the river.  However, the current of the river is still too strong and this operation will not yet be possible today.  The water level is still very high and there are broken bridges and roads everywhere.

Alternatively, Brother Licinio is trying to reach out to find a boat locally to put the supplies, even if it has to be pushed manually.  Potentially, INGC (Government Calamity Entity) may have these support units and we are doing all we can to find these.

According to Brother Licinio “the supplies and the petrol simply MUST get there”.

A group of soldiers of the Mozambican army are also locked in the area and are trying to help as much as possible.  This morning, the UPG volunteers went around in the local jeep to collect iron bars and improvise tents for the families.  Their biggest frustration is “not to be able to help all of those in need”.

Cell phone networks are now being disconnected in the area.

Xai-Xai

Water keeps flowing heavily into downtown Xai-Xai and the area is about to be submerged.  The support is arriving and there is movement of trucks carrying people and goods to the highest areas.

Sisters Beta and Helena, in one of our supported schools Escolinha do André, are now giving full priority to the families without a home. 

Help our emergency appeal by making your donation here

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts

Emergency Appeal - Floods in Mozambique - Friday pm Update

Chokwé

The water level lowered slightly in the area but the day got off to a bad start, with reports only improving towards the end of the day. Our Local Partner in SVP Sister Neuza suffered from very poor health and was evacuated to Maputo. Our local technician and uni student Hilario spent 3 days on the roof of his house, wounded after saving people from being dragged by the heavy waters. His sister, alongside him on the roof, was finally able to fetch some fresh water as the water level started lowering. Despite the acuteness of his wound and all our efforts, at the time of this report it had still been impossible to bring him medical assistance through either water barges or air support.

Orphan Centre CRPE

It was an exhausting day for our UPG Volunteers on the grounds supporting the local communities. Control over water supply and distribution of foodstuff remained the priority.  It is still not possible to arrive to the Chinavane area.

Santa Luisa Marillac

We received the first reports from SLM, where our Local Partner Sister Lidia and the other Sisters were out of contact for 2 days. They have taken refuge in the Carmelo Hospital as SLM school was completely submersed. Tomorrow they will try to reach Manjangue and the SLM school area to assess the damage inflicted by the floods and start their support to the community.

Brother Licinio from CRPE

Brother Licinio continues indefatigable in his attempts to provide relief to the population who has sheltered at the CRPE centre. He procured water, green beans and other foodstuff as well as fuel in the city. His efforts have been fruitless given the travel situation as most roads remain shut and no access has been possible to the Chinhacanine area. We have been notified he will attempt to deliver this cargo again tomorrow but the remaining open roads are either closing or completely blocked with heavy traffic.

Xai-Xai/Escolinha do Andre

Sister Beta has been able to access part of our Emergency Funds already. Her team has been looking out for children since Wednesday as many have missed school to help their families take the water out of their houses. In our Escolinha do Andre school, meals are under constant preparation for the children attending school. The Sister is also preparing a small shelter centre with makeshift beds for the families of the children under ALG’s programme that are currently sleeping in the street.

It is early days to assess the damage to the school and the families but Sister Berta has undertaken to visit all the refuge hubs to find the children from the Escolinha and help on an individual basis.

Our sister charity UPG is making efforts to redirect their local volunteers in Chongoene towards the areas with more urgent need of support, over the next days and once the travel situation improves.

Update on ALG Emergency Appeal

A Little Gesture UK and our sister-charity Um Pequeno Gesto Portugal launched yesterday an urgent appeal for emergency funds. Together we have raised £3’000 towards our Emergency Appeal.

We thank you for your efforts and continue to ask for your support in raising awareness and donating funds towards this catastrophe.

Local Support and Donations

Our network of ALG Friends in Maputo is currently getting organized to donate foodstuff and essential supplies locally. We are in the process to arrange a reliable transport route as soon as the travel situation is more stabilised. We will keep you posted on this subject and how to help locally should you have a presence in Maputo.

Help our emergency appeal by making your donation here

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts!

Update on the Flood Situation in Mozambique

Center Reborn for Hope

In the Center Reborn for Hope, the UPG Volunteer Sara informs that the water is being distributed with the reserve generator from the company Opway, but this is already reaching its limit.  The next option will be to use the water well in the seminar close by to keep providing water to the population, but for that they will need to find petroil nearby.  They are all working together to find the best solution.  The volunteers are helpging with the monitoring of the water distribution together with some local elders that help those who speak less Portuguese.

Chokwé

The news are less encouraging here, as there is yet not way to reach affected areas.  Our local technician Hilário is still on top of his roof and his health condition is deteriorating.  We are doing all we can to bring help to him.

Xai-Xai

The City keeps flooding and the water is already at the edge of the city, where the main bridge is, and reaching out to the downtown areas.  The situation with the ALG children is at the moment less concerning as most live in Quarter 9 or next to the Escolinha do André, which are higher parts of town.  The ones from the low lands have mostly been reallocated to the Quarter of Marien Ngouabi, where we have the pre-school Flor da Infancia, a high area.

Emergency Fund Chokwé

Brother Licinio is in Maputo seeking to source as much basic goods as he can.  The Emergency Fund was delivered this morning by ALG and all the partners were given permission to use surplus funds from the monthly goods in order to do all they can to relieve the populations. A lot of roads are still blocked but brother Licinio says he will bring the food there "even if he carries it on his back"

Together for the Children, Every Little Gesture Counts

End of the Day Update - Floods in Mozambique

Chokwé 

Brother Licinio was able to visit some of the surrounding areas in Chokwé but was unable to reach the city as the roads are still blocked by the water. 

He has visited the town of Howké to visit the children sponsored in school there and all are doing well.  The Brother requested the school for them to stay there until the situation stabilizes. 

He is now back to Maputo where, in the morning, he will try to buy basic goods to go back and try to reach the Center Reborn for Hope. 

Santa Luísa de Marillac

In Manjangue, where the School Santa Luisa is, is now accessible but still no one around given the Nuns had to take refuge in the Hospital of Carmelo.  The Hospital is still isolated.  

Emergency Fund Chokwé

By the morning, ALG will release the first emergency funds 100.000 meticais (£2400)

Brother Licinio will start supporting the children, elderly and groups of risk as soon as he is able to reach the Center. 

Center Reborn for Hope

The UPG Volunteers at the Center report the tents and new water well have been established.  All is organized to start the distributions to the population in the morning, in coordination with Opway and the village leaders. 

Center Reborn for Hope / Orphanage - Floods Update

The local UPG volunteers are safe and starting to help with the first movements of humanitarian aid.  The Center Reborn for Hope is at the moment surrounded with about 2000-3000 people who are seeking the high lands to take refuge from the rising waters.  The volunteers are in contact with UPG and ALG, as well as the Local Partner Brother Licinio. 

Brother Licinio was in Maputo at the time of the first heavy rains and floods and is at the moment seeking to buy the first basic goods with the emergency fund created by ALG to try to reach Chinavane and help the families.  However, the roads are blocked, bridges have fallen and given the strenth of the rivers it is hard to guarantee when traffic will be able to flow.

In the last hours, a water tank car reached the Center and is now distributing safe water to the families camping around the center.  The families are trying to cook the food they brought with them in the dry areas.

The Engineers of the Company Opway (who live next to the center) are helping at the center and with the families and using a generator to help distributing water to the population.  The UPG volunteers are seeking to coordinate with the village heads to assist the water distribution and ensure its fairness.  The Engineers and Volunteers will also be helping setting up tents to host the refuge tents in Mount Chirrundzo, given more rain is expected to fall.

Help our emergency appeal by making your donation here

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts

Xai-Xai - Floods Update

In Xai-Xai

Today, it is the city of Xai-Xai which is severely threathened by the rains. The houses are flooded and the river Limpopo is twice its usual height, according to ALG Local technicial Helder.  

The situation is extremely concerning and many families of the children of Escolinha do André have been evacuated from their homes.  The "refuge" center is in Marien Ngouabi, a higher zone of the city, where ALG supports pre-school Escolinha Flor da Infancia.  

In the city, the scenario is disastrous, as the families seek to escape to the low areas carrying all their possessions.

Help our emergency appeal by making your donation here

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts

Update on the Floods in Mozambique

We keep receiving news from Mozambique, not always the most pleasant:

Water starts to lower in Chokwé. Damage still to be evaluated

In Chokwé, the water has now started to lower but the population is still on top of trees and houses, according to reports from our ALG Local Partners Hilario and Silvestre.  The damages are still difficult to evaluate, given most goods were taken by the floods and the production from the family farms is now ruined for the months to come.

Silvestre, ALG Local Parner,
sheltered with his family in a roof to escape the flooding

"The overvflow of River Limpopo led to the evacuation of millions of people in the City of Chokwé, in the South of Mozambique, as reported by Radio Moçambique, which referred to a similar situation in Vila Caniçado, in the same province.

According to the radio station, "thousands of people in need", carrying their few goods next to vehicles and any cattle, were heading to Chiaquelane, 30kms from Chokwé, the place selected by the Local Authoritities to receive the victimes of the floods." (TV24)

"With the heavy flows from South Africa, the water levels of the rivers Incomati and Limpopo, surrounding the provinces of Gaza and Maputo, keep overflowing extensive areas and endangering human lives and loss of goods.  The Chokwé Municipality, in the Gaza Province, was yesterday submerged.  The next 48 hours will stay in high risk alert and downtown Xai-Xai, the capital of the Province, by the River Limpopo, is now in serious danger of suffering sever flooding."(CanalMoz)

Floods now threthen Xai-Xai

The day starts difficult in Xai-Xai.  The ALG Local Partners visited the ground today as many children missed school.  "The path between Xai-Xai and Chongoene looks like a refugee camp, we expect the worse this afternoon.  We were housing people with us through the night".

Xai-Xai was one of the most affected areas by the 2000 floods, as it is in a particularly vulnerable area of the River Limpopo.  "In 2000, downtown Xai-Xai, crossed by National Road 1 which connects the North and South of the Company, was completely flooded and destroyed.  It was totally rebuilt in the aftermath in an unprecedented effort and has regained life but yesterday, reports from the city mentioned populations were already exiting the lower zones expecting the worse." (Canal Moz)

"Next 48 hours are high risk".

Help our emergency appeal by making your donation here

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

Every Little Gesture Counts

Emergency Appeal – Floods In Mozambique

Current state of affairs

It is with great sadness that we announce to our sponsors, donors and friends that our intervention area in Mozambique is currently in state of calamity due to catastrophic flooding. All regions of Gaza, Guija and Xai Xai have been affected, being Chokwé the most acute case. Water levels in Chowké have surpassed the 3m, and although the situation is now considered to be stationary, there is no certainty that things won’t get worst during the next few days.

ALG in-site

ALG managed to establish contact with all affected Local Partners - S. Vicente de Paulo, Santa Luisa Marillac e Centre Reborn for Hope - and fortunately they all seem to be safe.

Our five UPG volunteers on the ground reported to be stable and for now should there be no reason for major concern.

ALG Local Partner (Silvestre) testimonial

“This morning around 5am, Manjangue had already been taken by the huge flood of water.  Road access between Chokwe and Guija/Massingir Districts was cut, so we can no longer circulate from Macia to Chinhacanine.

Water levels are going up and you can see families going to their roofs without anyone to help them. The most fragile houses are already falling apart and people seem to be loosing all their belongings. By now we have been informed about 3 casualties in this area. Tragedy seems to be eminent.”

ALG Children and Families

For now we cannot release any reliable information about the children and families supported by ALG. Our Local Partners are helping them dealing with this catastrophe within the limited resources available. As soon as we have more information we will update all Sponsors.

In the meantime, we have launched an emergency fund to deal with the aftermath of the crisis at https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algfloodemergency

KHANIMAMBO to you all for your support.

Together for the Children!