The rainy season in the Diocese of Niassa, northern Mozambique, began late this year, and fell with a vengeance: bridges and roads were destroyed, homes collapsed, crops were flattened, and cholera and malaria increased.
In some parts of our diocese, every year brings flooding, and we have had much experience in bringing relief to remote communities at such times.
Following our much practiced approach of “UMOJA”(the Swahili word meaning “together”), which seeks change through the mobilization of communities by communities themselves, we have a network of voluntary groups, called “teams of life”, ready to respond alongside other local volunteers when disaster happens to villages.
Within days our teams were able to respond, with information from local government leaders about the situation “on the ground”, and through partners who have worked with us long term in development and church work.
Water purifiers, mosquito nets, food, soap, seeds and agricultural instruments will help the most affected in remote communities, in this case 2700 families, cope for the rest of the rainy season and to plan for a new crop.
For information about how to support this work, please read previous Anglican Alliance article.
Rev Helen Van Koevering was a participant at the first Anglican Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) conference held in Recife, Brazil in late February 2015. It was hosted by the Anglican Church of Brazil in partnership with Us (formerly USPG) and the Anglican Alliance.
The delegates at the conference made a declaration, committing to building relationships and sharing knowledge across the Anglican Communion. The first Portuguese newsletter sharing the meeting’s examples of relief, development and advocacy work in the Lusophone churches, will be published shortly by the Anglican Alliance.
Photos by Mario Muromua, coordinator for Zambezia, Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique.
