Reported by Pamela Zintatu Ntshanga, Maputo, August 2000

Along the road from Maputo to Chokwe, evidence of the damage caused by the floods that raged through Mozambique in February and March this year is still visible. Roads that were in ruins for weeks are being repaired allowing access to places that had been cut off for months. But large areas of land remain submerged under stagnant pools of water transforming them into high-risk malaria zones. Southern Mozambique has turned into a land of numerous lakes.

"It might take two years for the water to disappear and for now that land cannot be used even though some of it is fertile and always produces a good harvest," a local trader says pointing out to the area where she used to have a maize field. She, like many others, has to walk a considerable distance to find good soil and sufficient land with which to support her family.

The people of Mozambique are getting a new lease on life after surviving the February/March floods, which affected over 2 million people and are estimated to have caused damages of up to $500 million. Through the Lutheran World Federation, a member of the ACT alliance, work to repair schools, clinics and roads will soon commence with a particular focus on the worst affected areas. ACT members have been responding to the ACT appeal for the Mozambique floods for $ 8.9 millions.

Chokwe is a town 200 kilometres northwest of Maputo on the banks of the Limpopo River in the Gaza province. This is the province that was hardest hit resulting in 265 deaths and 80 disappearances. "We were bombarded by water from all sides; on land and from the skies. We have never seen anything the like of those floods", people say.

Two light brown lines can be seen on all the houses in Chokwe indicating where the water level was when the floods struck. The first line, three metres off the ground, above the windows, is where the water stood for four days before it subsided. The second, almost a metre off the ground, is more pronounced. This is the level where the water remained for weeks. Both tell a story of a harsh, forbidding reality, of how people had to sit in trees for up to four days whilst waiting for outside help.

People had to share their meagre lodgings with snakes, which also sought refuge from the rising waters. "That was our first real experience of humans competing with animals for a place of safety," the young men transporting goods across the Limpopo River says. "We used trousers and capulanas (sarongs) as ropes to secure ourselves to the trees in case we fell asleep. There were not enough twines for everyone so the women held praying and story telling sessions to keep the children awake."

The floods hit one of the poorest countries in the world that is still grappling with a 43-year life expectancy and a literacy rate of 40%. The provinces of Sofala and Gaza were severely damaged resulting in over 500 deaths and 80 disappearances. Gaza, which is on the Limpopo Valley in the south of the country, lost most of its schools and clinics in the lower lying villages. Roads also have to be repaired so as to allow people to transport their agricultural goods to markets. The province had an irrigation system of good quality but 90% of it now lies in ruins.

Access to water has proved to be a major problem with women having to complete a trip of 50 kilometres to collect 10 litres of water. Even in areas where water pumps work people still have to walk for 10 kilometres. To minimise the spread of disease such as cholera, clean water has to be supplied. A total of 80 000 people will benefit from the ACT water projects.

In areas inaccessible by road in Gaza province ACT distributed seeds by airdrops in April. In Sofala, the disaster was exacerbated when the winds of cyclone Eline followed a week after the floods; sweeping away whatever the floods had left behind. Sofala is dry and sparsely populated.

Other consequences of the floods are a 20% rise in inflation and a hike in prices. The problem is exacerbated by expensive transport costs. Many people, especially women, rely on their cattle to carry harvested products from the fields to the homes and the nearest markets. A loss of 20 000 animals has turned the situation into a desperate one. Because the roads are damaged, prices on food have hit the roof. Many people can no longer afford basic fruits and vegetables. Livestock, the only form of asset people have, has been washed down the rivers turning the simple act of ploughing into a gruelling process that can take several days.

The ACT members Lutheran World Federation, the Christian Council of Mozambique and the Presbyterian Church are helping. Over 300 000 people were reached and supplied with basic survival kits, which included plastic tarps, kitchen utensils, food aid and seeds. Many people returned to their homes only to find that the floods spared nothing. The plastic tarps that were used for temporary shelter at resettlement camps are now a permanent feature on most houses in Gaza province.

The rebuilding of schools, clinics, roads and supply of clean water will benefit 457000 people in Mozambique, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most classes are now conducted in tents and under trees. The most affected are the younger children who usually have to make way for their older counterparts. Roofs on schools and other public buildings became the only refuge for people and as a result were severely damaged. At Bairro Primary School in Chokwe, 450 people sought refuge from the rising water causing the roof of 3 classrooms to cave in. Only 300 of the 1086 pupils take lessons in the 3 remaining classrooms.

"Many people helped each other during the floods by sharing whatever food could be found. We now hope that communities can transfer that sense of unity to the rehabilitation work. We want to help them in making the transition from disaster to development very smooth," says Michael Hyden, Programme Co-ordinator at Lutheran World Federation.

Fotos taken by Jesper Milner Henriksen