Cyclone Idai Relief Effort
As reported earlier this month in Missions News, Good Samaritan Good Samaritan sent $5,000 for relief aid after Cyclone Idai. The Missions Committee recommended that $5,000 be taken from the “Change the World” fund and sent to Water Mission for its relief efforts, especially in Malawi and Mozambique, and Vestry approved the gift. The “Change the World Fund” (generated through contributions using the little plastic globes) exists so the church can respond to these types of disasters.
Recently, Kevin Herr, Water Mission’s Director of Church Partnerships, sent a Thank You and an update on their relief work. Sending equipment, materials, and personnel – along with prayers – Water Mission is now serving more than 19,000 people in Malawi and Mozambique. Kevin highlights a few specifics:
- We expanded the capacity of two of our existing water systems near Nacheni displacement camp in Malawi, enabling them to serve more than 880 families.
- We repaired 10 systems that were damaged by the cyclone, restoring them to full capacity.
- We constructed multiple water access points in Malawi's Bangula and Chabuka displacement camps, and safe water is now flowing for more than 15,000 people.
- We are working with several other communities and partners in Malawi and Mozambique to provide desperately needed safe water access. Praise the Lord, yesterday we got a project up and running in Mozambique. Unfortunately, locations where we were going to install two other LWTS, after completing capacity tests, neither of the wells we were going to use were able to provide enough water. Please pray for good solutions to these challenges!
Water Mission’s relief work is ongoing in Malawi and Mozambique and other areas devastated by Cyclone Idai.