March 2001 Update
How the Foundation for Community Development of Mozambique is Helping People and Communities Rebuild after the Floods
Friends and colleagues:
Last year, the Foundation for Community Development (FDC) of Mozambique was able to assist thousands of families who lost everything they had in the floods. The FDC applied over $2 million that it raised -- including $40,000 in contributions from the Synergos & Friends Mozambique Solidarity Fund, the Africa America Institute, the Friends of the FDC, the American Jewish World Service and others in Mozambique and Europe -- toward rebuilding and developing communities in the flood areas.
A first-hand account of one woman's experience in this disaster is attached.
Dialogue with Grace Kiniki
This April 26,
Grace Kiniki, coordinator of the flood relief program of the FDC last year, will be visiting Synergos. Grace will be very interested in hearing your ideas and thoughts on how we might strengthen the communication and links between the United States and Mozambique so please join us then. The venue is our offices at 9 East 69th Street in Manhattan from 4:30-6:30 pm. RSVP by phone or email to: John Tomlinson (212) 447-8111 or jtomlinson@synergos.org.
The Current Situation in Mozambique
New floods have directly affected over 300,000 people living in the Zambezi valley and created 70,000 new internal refugeees living in displacement camps.
Rescue operations are moving very slowly because of a lack of helicopters and boats.
In the Zambezi province there are only two large boats (50 and 20 person capacity), one helicopter and some small privately owned boats.
Mozambique's military and police have evacuated as many people as they could, but many others were beyond their reach.
Communications infrastructure and roads were so rotten to begin with that there was no good way to know where people were stranded.
FDC has joined with the Christian Council of Mozambique to improve the makeshift accommodations centers to which people have fled and to focus on four high-priority zones where they have determined that international aid organizations and government have not reached people. Of course, this work is putting enormous strain on the Foundation. As an indigenous institution that supports the efforts of others, it is very important for the FDC to be responsive to the needs of these communities. Working with the communities along the Zambezi comes at great cost even in good times because of the poor roads and the prohibitive price of using airplanes.
How You Can Help
Given this situation, and because the media has not covered the story very widely, our solidarity is even more critical.
If you would like to support the FDC's work, please visit the FDC's website.
Sincerely,
Andrew Scott DuPree
Regional Director for Southern Africa
The Synergos Institute
tel +1 (212) 447-8111
March 23, 2000
