Mozambique: “We are staying here. We are determined to help these people”

At the end of March, the Emergency Coordination Section of the Focolare Movement took action to help the communities affected by the flood in south-eastern Africa, in particular a mission to Dombe. Ildo who is responsible for this mission, sent us this message:

“Here we have four houses of rehabilitation, an agricultural school and a day center, which have been completely submerged in water. We have lost everything: furniture, documents, animals, tractors. We are now housed in our small hospital, which was saved along with the church, the nuns’ house and the college.

We are taking care of 1,300 people housed in two schools. We are in great need – especially of tents, food, blankets, and simple boats to cross the river. Many people have died in the area surrounding our mission, especially children. There are many more deaths than have been reported. When the water level dropped, bodies were found hanging from the trees. Yesterday I found a desperate young man on the street, who didn’t know where to go, looking for who knows who. When he told me his story I couldn’t stop myself, I just took him with me to the mission to live with us.

“The waters rose suddenly,” he told me. “I took my eight-month-old baby, my wife and my two brothers and we climbed a tree. Suddenly the tree fell down and one by one I saw them being dragged away by the water. The only reason I was saved was because I was hanging on to the tree trunk. I was in the water for 30 hours – just three miles from my house.”

His name is Silvestre and he is 22 years old. We hear stories like this all the time. We will stay here, determined to help these people who were already suffering before the flood. Something tells me that something great, something really good is going to happen to us. We ask you to pray so that we have enough health and strength to carry on this mission that God has entrusted to us. A big hug from all of us!”

Those who wish to can contribute in the following ways:
Action for a United World ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT58 S050 1803 2000 0001 1204 344 Banca Popolare Etica BIC: CCRTIT2T Emergency Mozambique

Or:
Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT55 K033 5901 6001 0000 0001 060 at Banca Prossima SWIFT / BIC code: BCITITMX Emergency Mozambique