DONATE TOWARDS CYCLONE IDAI SURVIVORS - JESUITS SOUTHERN AFRICA/ FR GENERAL, ARTURO SOSA'S MESSAGE

To Donate towards the Jesuits Southern African initiative ‘BEYOND CYCLONE IDAI’ click here

In a Facebook post which read “through the Jesuit Relief fund, a project set up to allow the Jesuits to provide emergency humanitarian aid to communities affected by natural disasters such as the one our brothers and sisters have faced” the Jesuit Province of Zimbabwe – Mozambique called on for help towards helping victims of Cyclone Idai. This was followed by a Statement from the Provincial of Zimbabwe - Mozambique Fr Chiedza Chimhanda SJ and the President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar Fr Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator SJ calling on all people of good will to assist the people of the three countries affected.

Context: On March 14, 2019, the strongest Cyclone on record hit the Southern Hemisphere, devastating lives in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, affecting nearly 3 million people, with death tolls exceeding 843 people according to World Vision. Cyclone Idai made landfall, followed by Cyclone Kenneth, that came ashore in northern Mozambique on April 25, 2019, with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains causing more flooding in an already devastated broad area. According to reports by the U.N. children’s agency, an estimate of 1.5 million children were affected.

The Jesuits in Southern Africa led a massive relief operation to assist survivors’ with food, blankets, clean water, shelter, and other basic necessities. These efforts have led to the launch of a campaign dubbed ‘BEYOND CYCLONE IDAI’ aimed at survivors of the disaster and looking ahead of future disasters. Donations to this cause by the Jesuits in Southern Africa will contribute towards, education, housing and infrastructure, counseling, health care, and faith-based centres.