Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Builds Three Thousand Homes for Cyclone Idai Survivors in Mozambique

On December 7, 2022, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation (BTCF) in Mozambique handed over the first 12 houses of the Ndeja Great Love Village in Sofala Province to new owners. BTCF is in the process of building a total of 480 homes in the village as part of a total of 3,131 new houses and 23 schools in Sofala, within its post cyclone reconstruction plan after the devastation of Cyclone Idai in March of 2019.

Joshua Pedro Mangue, chief of Tica Locality, expressed his joy and gratitude in finally seeing homes being allocated to resettling people. “This goes beyond a simple delivery of houses. It is the rebirth of hope in people. Tzu Chi does a lot for the communities, because it not only supports the communities through supplies of food, and seeds for agricultural production. It focuses above all on the humanitarian issues. Many people are looking for encouragement, affection, and understanding to overcome life traumas and to rebuild their personality.”

To facilitate the move for the residents and help them take care of their new homes, BTCF provided a welcome kit including eco-beds, blankets, a bucket, a toilet brush and a broom. At the handover ceremony, local volunteers presented a skit illustrating the importance of maintaining the house. The new residents were also given a leaflet with home-care and hygiene instructions in the form of illustrations, to facilitate for those who may be illiterate. The handover ceremony also featured a dance by adult and children volunteers, a prayer by pastor and beneficiary Mariano José, and speeches by local dignitaries.

Dino Foi, volunteer representative for BTCF in Mozambique, noted: “All 480 families benefiting from Tzu Chi’s Great Love homes will receive 3.5kg of sesame, 1kg of corn to assist with nutrition and 20g of cabbage seeds and 20g of pumpkin seeds to ensure a source of income.”

Upon entering her new house, Madofa Canivete, one of the beneficiaries, said: “I am very grateful. I am asking God for at least 10 more years of life so that I can enjoy the blessing I have received. I had never imagined that I would live in such a beautiful house.”

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is a global non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1966 by Buddhist nun Dharma Master Cheng Yen. Its missions of medicine, charity, education, and humanistic culture have brought relief to 128 countries. The heart of Tzu Chi is embedded in its name: in Chinese, “Tzu” means compassion and “Chi” relief, to relieve the suffering of those in need while creating a better world for all through compassion, love and hope. For more information, visit tzuchi.us.

For additional information and media inquiries, please write to Johan Alwall, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, johan.alwall@us.tzuchi.org.