Mozambique has been having a tough year. First battered by Cyclone Idai in March 2019 – the worst tropical storm to hit southern Africa on record – leaving 1.8m people in need of humanitarian assistance, and then being swamped by severe flooding in December 2019 affecting 71,000 people. Each time the rural farming communities recovered and began to rebuild their livelihoods, but now Covid-19 and life under lockdown is once more threatening their existence.

World Jewish Relief provided humanitarian aid after Cyclone Idai and then began a longer term recovery programme to help families get back on their feet. Following the floods, we received funding from the Start Network to once again provide urgent assistance.  Now with our partner ADPP Mozambique, we are working to reach the rural populations with information on Covid-19, training on hygiene, handwashing and prevention and distribution of sanitation equipment including portable handwashing stations, soap, chlorine and face-masks. These measures will help ensure the communities we have been working with have some protection against the spread of the virus.

We are working in Nhamatanda, primarily in Lamego and TICA. Our project includes disseminating official Covid-19 messages using the local languages of Ndau and Sena. More than 2,000 direct beneficiaries will be reached by this intervention, and an estimate of 5,000 will be reached indirectly, by activities in the local markets and within people boarding public transports.

Our team are demonstrating effective hand washing techniques, teaching social distancing, providing masks and delivering or distributing buckets with taps to the most vulnerable households.

Mozambique is currently in a state of emergency until the end of May, with borders closed and schools shut. Face masks are compulsory in all public places.

Watch our video on how we helped after Cyclone Idai:

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