Supporting Mozambique Two Years After Cyclone Eloise
In January 2021, Mozambique was hit by the devastating Cyclone Eloise, destroying homes and impacting the lives of around 19,000 people. Peace Winds responded immediately by supporting the United Nations’ and government agencies’ efforts to provide food, water, and relief supplies to nearly 3,800 households.
To support Mozambicans in the longer-term, Peace Winds built eight wells in Sofala Province, in the central part of the country, to ensure that residents would have clean drinking water. At the end of 2022, about 10 months after completing the project and nearly two years after the cyclone, Peace Winds teams returned to the villages in Sofala Province to see how the wells are holding up. Peace Winds is happy to report that all eight wells are still functioning well and remain a valuable source of water for local Mozambicans.
Peace Winds also helped form agriculture groups for farmers in the resettlement areas who have been able to cultivate maize and vegetables. The leader of one group shared the challenges of cultivating crops in Mozambique, saying, “we want to expand our farmland, but we are unable to do so because we run out of water during the dry season.” In addition to the wells Peace Winds built, residents have dug their own small wells to use the water for irrigation.
Peace Winds staff who visited the village also found evidence of hope and rebuilding thanks to Manuel, a local baker who recently opened a small bakery. After a lot of trial and error, Manuel has developed a recipe for delicious, fluffy bread. When we asked his son Luis, who was listening in on the conversation, what he wants to do when he grows up, he immediately answered, “I want to have a bakery!”
About two years after Cyclone Eloise, the residents of the resettlement area are gradually returning to their normal lives. Peace Winds remains active in other parts of Mozambique, supporting displaced people and building latrines to curb the challenge of open defecation. Thank you for your support, which allows Peace Winds to aid people like those affected by Cyclone Eloise, and we look forward to bringing more updates from Mozambique.