familysupporthomerefurbishment

Family Support and Re-housing

Working with the Municipal authorities, Imagine has built secure homes for families displaced by floods, families living in absolute dire conditions, families who have lost homes through fire, land-slip or storm. This element of our work began after the devastating floods of 2000. Shortly after the flood waters abated, we went searching for families we had been assisting - but found that their homes had been destroyed. We later traced them to a new flood relief area named Magoanine. It was here that our re-housing programmes began - and have since continued in Magoanine as well as two more centres named Mali and Mumemo.

Flooded homes - a small hamlet
totally destroyed by flooding

Flood shelter - families living under any available shelter in Magoanine, during the floods of 2000

Those rehoused have included :- Mr. Sabado, a blind man living alone in a reed hut falling down around him. When we visited Mr. Sabado we found his neighbour (Benadito), also blind, living next door, with 2 small children (his wife had died). We couldn't help one without helping the other so we built 2 small brick houses. We also built them a shared toilet, which was erected only a day before the official hand-over ceremony. We hadn't seen the finished toilet so were a bit surprised to see that it had been built around a tree. Odd, we thought, before it was explained to us that the tree was intended to provide essential shade ! - Secure homes for seven families from Polana Canico (a district of Maputo). The families lived in poorly built houses on the edge of a newly created (by storms) precipice. It was feared that the houses would "disappear" as soon as the next heavy rains arrived.

Some of the 32 Phase 1 homes
built for flood victims in Magoanine

Some of the 23 Phase 2 homes
built for flood victims in Magoanine

Teamwork - families are asked to help in
the building of their new homes

We also built canico (local material) houses for five families from the informal housing area in Chamanculo who lost their homes and all their possessions in a fire.
This area of Chamanculo is probably the worst slum we have come across. The families were given the option of either having their homes re-built (local materials) in Chamanculo or in a resettlement area in Maracuane. The Municipality provided the land in Maracuane freely and this persuaded the families to re-locate. Whilst they are now approximately 30 kilometres from Maputo, the area is much healthier and growing. Already they are planning to open market stalls in the new centre.

5 canico houses in Maracuane provided for families from the Chamanculu area made homeless by fire .

Some of the Caetano family outside their new home

We also provided new homes in Mali for the Caetano and Mole families, returning refugees, who because of their desperate circumstances, had to live separately from their children. They are now back together. However, we understand that merely providing walls and a roof does not guarantee a secure and sustainable future. So in accordance with our other development targets, we will also provide support for these families to ensure children receive formal education, are provided with health care when necessary and if possible help ensure the family develops a self sustainable income

Home Refurbishment

Rebuild1 - a family of 7 lived in this almost destroyed house. Imagine provided a replacement brick house

Many of the Imagine projects operate within the poorer quarters of the city (and beyond). In such areas many families are living in housing conditions which provide very little protection from the elements and disease. We want to improve such conditions. This could mean the erection of secure shelters to house families living in extreme poverty, or a roof repair, or a door fixed.

It doesn't require a lot of expense but improves living conditions considerably (often for older people). Recently we also provided construction materials for the Banze and Vilanculo families to enable them to repair badly damaged homes.

Imagine helped a mother and four children move from this tent to a "brick" house - and also provided a self sustainable market stall now running successfully.

Tin house - A young family of 5 lived in this "tin"shack. Imagine provided materials for them to build a local material "canico"house.

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