Maputo, 27 Aug (AIM) – The Taiwanese Buddhist inspired NGO, the Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, has invested 33 million dollars in the construction of 840 houses for those people affected by Cyclone Idai, which hit the central province of Sofala in 2019.
The houses, which are part of a total of 2,067 houses under construction, were built at the Guara-Guara Resettlement Centre, in Búzi district. They will officially be handed over to the beneficiaries next month.
According to the head of the Mozambican branch of Tzu Chi, Dino Foi, the investment is the result of contributions from over 10 million volunteers in 55 countries.
“These houses symbolize another step toward the goal we set when we decided to create the foundation in Mozambique, which is to support communities, especially the most vulnerable. This is further proof that the effort and unique contribution of each of our 10 million volunteers spread across 55 countries worldwide is crucial for these communities to dream again”, he said.
Foi recalled that over the last year, Tzu Chi handed over a secondary school budgeted at 13 million dollars. The school, which was built in Mafambisse, also in Sofala province, is the largest in the country.
“This is a new beginning for these families who still carry the trauma of the devastation of one of the worst cyclones to hit Mozambique. These houses are designed using the ‘Build Back Better’ system, so they are better than those that existed previously. Furthermore, these houses are prepared for Type 4 cyclones, with winds of around 250 kilometers per hour”, he said.
So far, 1,611 homes have been delivered in Sofala. According to the memorandum signed with the government, Tzu Chi committed itself to providing over 3,000 houses by April 2026, including 2,067 in the Guara-Guara resettlement area.
The handover ceremony for the 840 homes will be attended by senior leaders of Tzu Chi Global, including Pi Yu Lin, the deputy President, and Simon Ming Shyong, the Executive Director.
In addition to housing, the foundation is committed to building 23 schools in Sofala. At least 13 will be completed by December 2025, including the country’s largest primary school, located in Beira, budgeted at 3.9 million dollars.
Tzu Chi’s overall support package for Mozambique is valued at 100 million dollars, funded entirely by its volunteers, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to education, housing, health, and community resilience.
(AIM)
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