By Kento Uehara | Coordinator, PWJ Mozambique
Tropical Storm Ana in January 2022 and Cyclone Gombe two months later affected large numbers of people in north-central Mozambique. Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) provided assistance for housing construction and distribution of daily commodities such as sanitary kits for people who lost their homes during the disasters and were forced to relocate to resettlement areas. PWJ also helped ensure there was a clean water supply for people who have been affected.
Initially, those people who had been displaced built their own dwellings, which were basic structures made with straw and mud walls. Furthermore, the lack of mosquito nets meant that they were constantly at risk of contracting malaria, which is a potentially fatal disease, especially for small children. In addition, sanitary conditions were poor due to the lack of toilets and garbage dumping sites.
Therefore, PWJ lent its support through
1. the distribution of tools and materials, such as saws, nails and tarpaulin, to built shelters;
2. the distribution of health and sanitary supplies such as mosquito nets, soap, and chlorine for water purification;
3. sanitation promotion activities, including those encouraging the construction of toilets, shelves for dishes and so on, and garbage disposal sites.
Within the resettlement areas, there was a surprising lack of even the most basic living supplies. In addition, even though many of the displaced people were aware of what was needed to maintain a hygienic environment, it was a different story when it came to actually putting it into practice. Few households had toilets, and defecation in the open was rife. There was a clear need to encourage the construction of household toilets, and little by little those have come to fruition in the community. We were also impressed to see that they have also built beautifully designed stands for storing dishes and so on, which was more than we had expected.
In some respects, the distribution of goods alone is only a temporary form of support, but PWJ’s primary aim was to first help the victims leave the affected areas and establish the minimum necessary sanitation and living environment for long-term living in the resettlement areas.
To this end, PWJ has also cleaned and disinfected wells in affected areas that were contaminated by rainwater and sewage so that people could have access to safe water. We tend to perceive wells as something that can be used forever once built, but this is not the case. There are many wells that are not well maintained, and safe water is no longer available due to a number of reasons, including the aging and neglect of the wells. Therefore, we set up water management committees (WMC) from among local residents to ensure the wells are adequately managed and maintained. We also held workshops to explain the need for and provide guidance on regular maintenance, and to implement a system whereby a certain amount of money is collected monthly from local residents and used to purchase replacement parts and other necessary items.
Activities for WMCs such as these workshops are very useful to ensure sustainable access to safe water in the field even after our support comes to an end.
In these ways, PWJ continues to provide a variety of support for the people in the disaster-affected areas of Mozambique, to improve their lives for a brighter tomorrow. We are very grateful for your continued support.
By Nao Iwano | PWJ Representative of Beira Office, Mozambique
By Miyako Shinohara | Program Coordinator
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