The Tzu Chi Foundation, an international non-governmental social and humanitarian organisation with special consultative status with the United Nations Council and representation in Mozambique, announced that it had invested 4.9 million dollars (309.6 million meticais) to build houses for the victims of Cyclone Idai in Sofala province, in the centre of the country.
According to the Mozambican Information Agency (AIM), the homes were built in the Metuchira neighbourhood, in the Nhamatanda district, and were officially handed over to the population on Monday (17), at an event attended by the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, and representatives of the financing entity.
On the occasion, the head of state explained that the construction of the houses, type 1 and 2, would begin in April 2022, and that 800 square metres of land had been made available to carry out the activities, as part of the Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Programme (PREPOC) implemented by the government.
“The centre of the country, especially Sofala, was devastated in March 2019 by Cyclone Idai, which left at least 603 people dead, displaced more than 1.8 million people and destroyed 150,000 houses. With this gesture we want to minimise the damage and give people more dignity, since these are masonry houses that are evolving,” he said.
According to the leader, the project has been designed with a system to help control environmental sanitation and faecal hygiene, which will improve the lifestyle of the communities. “The houses represent a huge gain for the beneficiary families, as it will open up space for other social infrastructures to be set up.”
For his part, the president of the Tzu Chi Foundation in Mozambique, Dino Foi, revealed that a total of 410 houses had been handed over, part of a total of 3131 houses to be built in four neighbourhoods in Sofala province, namely Metuchira, Ndeja, Kura and GwaraGwara.
“The beneficiary families have also received a Land Use Right (DUAT), a document that not only protects the family, but will also constitute a property title, which makes it an asset that can be used as collateral for a bank loan, for example,” he emphasised.
Dino Foi added that the projects funded by his organisation comprise three pillars: housing, livelihood recovery and resilience.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs from October to April.
