Helena Limao Fernando, age 16, studies outside her temporary home in the Josina Michelle neighborhood of Nhamatanda devastated by Cyclone Idai. Her older sister was killed in a building collapse during the storm. Helena is in 10th grade and cares for herself and younger siblings in this home on her mother's property.
Joana Antonia laughs with visitors on the site of her former home destroyed by Cylone Idai. Her home is in the Josina Michelle neighborhood in Nhamatanda, Mozambique. She received an emergency distribution of food and sanitation items from ACT Alliance partner CEDES following the storm.
Abrigado M cleans bricks he's using to rebuild a home in Josina Michelle neighborhood of Nhamatanda, Mozambique destroyed by Cyclone Idai.
Antonio Matthew Jonas stands within the layout of his proposed new home in the village of Drudja, Mozambique with son Matthew Antonio and neighbor Jocias Armando Marvuma 'outside.' His original home was swept away when the Buzi River overflowed its banks during Cyclone Idai. ACT Alliance partner CEDES has provided emergency relief distributions to Antonio and other village persons.
Maria Horacio Ostavao and her son Coazio inside the family's temporary shelterin the north Mozambique village of Drudja. She and her five children escaped the floodwaters of cyclone Idai by climbing onto the roof of the local primary school and then into trees where they remained for three days until the waters receded. Her husband, a police officer, spend the same period performing rescues of more vulnerable people. Most of the homes in the village were destroyed, overcome by 4 meters (14 feet) of rushing water from the Buzi River. Yet Maria finds hope to rebuild her home. Food, building and agriculture basics from CEDES, an ACT Alliance member, are helping her and others in Drudja begin again.
Filipe Alberto Manuel suffered the loss of his five children in Cyclone Idai. Hoping to avoid the rising waters, he took his children to the roof of the nearby primary school in Drudja, Mozambique. When the waters reached the peak of the roof, they relocated to a high tree in the nearby field. At 4:00 am on the following day, the rushing waters from the overflowing Buzi River had saturated the ground causing the tree Filipe and his children were in to topple in the dark of the night. All five children - ages 10, 7, 4, 2 and 5 months - were swept away and drowned. He and his wife are struggling with the loss while trying to rebuild their home and prepare for a new planting season.
Ana Somboco stands beneath a toppled wall section in her home destroyed by Cyclone Idai. Ana was identified by community leaders to receive emergency support following the storm from CEDES, an ACT Alliance member.
Boys play football (soccer) in the shade of the trees in the village of Drudja, Mozambique. Their joy belies the fact that less than two months ago rushing water from the Buzi River destroyed the nearly ready to harvest crop and swept homes away during Cyclone Idai.
