Disaster recovery stories

These are some of our NGO success stories regarding emergency aid:

At the time of cyclone Idai in 2019, Luís Maitigueri, 62, an administrator and head of the secretary’s office at the General Secondary School in Estaquinha, lived in Begaja, near the Búzi River. After the strong cyclonic winds, it rained heavily for several days, which caused immense flooding. With no time left to flee to higher ground, Luís climbed onto the roof of his house where he stayed for three days, waiting for the waters to subside. During those three days he saw people and roofs of other houses, which had collapsed, being washed away by the force of the waters.

His children who were in different parts of Sofala, unable to establish communications, thought Luís was dead. Luís, having lost everything, including his agricultural crop, was helped by ESMABAMA with emergency aid essentials to restart his life.

disaster recovery stories luis estaquinha
It was really a miracle that I was found alive!
emergency success stories
Luís Maitigueri
Head of the secretary's office at the General Secondary School in Estaquinha

Refugees in Mutindiri

Mutindiri, Chibabava district was targeted by armed attacks between 2019 and 2021. 522 families lost loved ones and all belongings. The Government therefore set up resettlement camps for these populations, who experienced a lot of pain and despair for about two years. Due to the emergency, ESMABAMA together with partners (Caritas Germany, Caritas Austria, Kindermissionswerk - Die Sternsinger and Sei So Frei), developed projects which consisted in providing assistance to this vulnerable population, with: the distribution of hygiene products, mobile health brigades to support the elderly and chronically ill, the training of 10 local masons to build slabs for improved latrines, the distribution of 3 pots for each family and of roofing sheets and gutters to improve the houses of the most vulnerable families. In addition, support was given in agricultural production, at the level of agricultural knowledge and inputs, so that the population can generate income independently and help make the refugee story part of the past.


Cyclone Idai and resettlement camps

Following cyclone Idai, and the floods that followed, which displaced the lower part of Begaja, the Government granted a plot of land to each of the 210 families affected, in what has become the Begaja resettlement camp. A new house, on a higher ground, many disaster recovery stories. The families in that center received from ESMABAMA, and partners, support in food, clothing, medical care and seed kits for agricultural production. The Begaja resettlement camp is just one of four new resettlement camps, near Estaquinha, which have been formed in the wake of this disaster. First support in emergency situations is fundamental to ensure survival. A few years after Idai, ESMABAMA maintains its outreach service, particularly through activists. The role of health activists, in conjunction with the Estaquinha Health Centre is fundamental to accompany patients and families in vulnerable situations.

mutindiri refugees
disaster recovery stories resettlement camps

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