Cyclone Idai Recovery: Appeal to Help Families in Mutsvangwa Village, Chimanimani

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​A year ago – March 14-15, 2019 – Cyclone Idai hit east Zimbabwe and devastated the area including the small villages in Mutsvangwa surrounding Kopa Growth Point in Chimanimani District. More than 634 people died - with 82 swept down-river and buried as far as 40km into Mozambique - and many others are still missing. 50,905 people were displaced, and more than 270,000 were affected and required assistance. ​25 years earlier, we were working in the area, carrying out Zimbabwe’s first population survey on HIV. The results found that HIV was spreading rapidly and death rates were rising – even in remote rural areas - and helped convince the government to establish a National AIDS Trust Fund and a national AIDS council. 

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​One year after Cyclone Idai, friends of the Manicaland Centre donated more than US$5000 to support Hope For Kids Zimbabwe deliver 3 projects: 
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  1. Small grants to help families in Mutsvangwa rebuild houses destroyed or badly damaged by Cyclone Idai
  2. Small grants to help families re-establish their livelihoods by restoring land and replanting cash crops
  3. A community counselling service to provide psychosocial support for adults and children in Mutsvangwa affected by Cyclone Idai
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So far, Hope For Kids Zimbabwe has facilitated: 
  • ​- rebuilding of 4 houses which were destroyed during Cyclone Idai, with one nearing completion and the remaining 3 to be completed by the end of April 2021. 
  • - a land reclamation project to support the community in turning land damaged in the cyclone back to agricultural land. 5 beneficiaries have been supported by this project. 
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Read the full report on the progress made here. ​
Any kind donations to this cause will be greatly appreciated. Click here to donate*. 

​#RebuildChimanimani
Hope for Kids, a small local church-based non-governmental organisation (registered trust) with strong connections to Mutsvangwa, has very kindly agreed to implement the proposed activities. The organisation has authorisation from Chimanimani District council to work in the district and from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education to work with local schools. Find out more about their work here or find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Supplementary Documentation
  1. *Payment information for non-GBP payments
  2. Friendship Bench letter of support 
  3. Hope for Kids partnership documentation
  4. Hope for Kids reference 1 
  5. Hope for Kids reference 2