Editors Note: This story was authored, and
the accompanying pictures submitted, by Rev. Clive John Pillay, an ordained
Itinerent Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Pillay
currently is working and ministering in flood-ravaged Mozambique. In this
presentation he shares with us his first-hand experiences as Mozambique struggles back
from its worst flooding in four decades. More on the Rev. Pillay. [Click Here]
The Mozambique Floods: A View
From Within
I commenced working on the Mozal
Contract in Mozambique 1 March 1999.
This is the biggest venture presently in Mozambique with a work-force of 10 000.
I organised a fellowship for the workers (especially those from South Africa ) with
a special service on Sundays.
Due to the nature of the project (The Mozambican and South African Government being the
funders) un-authorised people were not allowed on site. This presented a problem, whilst
they received the word of God, there were no resources to administer the Lord's Supper.
I approached Bishop Senatle who in
turned asked Bishop DeVaux to ordain me under the special Missionary Rule to attend to
this task. This attached me to an AME Church in Maputo and hence my involvement with the
people of our Zion.
The local people's understanding of the operation of the church is limited,
hence the fact that an edifice in the city of Maputo has not materialised.
Another contribution to this is the
fact that Mozambique ranks amongst one of the poorest countries in the world. We are
presently meeting on the porch of one of the houses in Maputo, with the Sunday School
meeting in the Garden.
Much of the homes even in and around the city of Maputo are made of bamboo and some of
clay.
The
infrastructure in Mozambique is of such a nature that the drainage system does not provide
much relief during the rainy season, never mind floods or cyclones.
Many homes are built lower than the
roads itself, causing water to flow from the road into the homes.
Notwithstanding all these
shortcomings Mozambique managed to be the top country for development during 1999 in
Africa.
February the 5th this year saw the worst floods to hit Mozambique since about 1959. Not
only did the rain cause much havoc, but most of the country is surrounded by
rivers, that also burst their banks.
Roads were filled with so much water
that even buses were submerged with only the roofs not covered. Light delivery vans and
cars were simply washed away. Homes made from brick and mortar simply crumbled, leaving
little to the imagination of what happened to the ones made from bamboo and clay.
The rain lasted for one week non-stop,
not drizzle or showers, but torrents, tons and tons of water.
I for that brief moment could
experience what must have happened in the time of Noah when it rained non-stop. I have
experienced heavy rains before but never for so many days.
The existing rivers and the rivers made by the floods moved
peoples homes, furniture and clothes as it moved from one point to the other.
As soon as the rain stopped I tried to contact the people in the area to get a first-hand
experience of the damages.
For many days people could not get
bread or any other food to eat. What they had left in their homes was what they had to
make do with. Many went without food for four to five days.
I could share with some mothers
who told me of how they had to sleep standing up, with a child on their back and one child
hanging on for dear life in front.
What we're informed of, nearly
150 lost their lives in the floods. (Ed note: The official count now is at
492) Where once there were roads now there are just big gaps, entry out of and into
Mozambique were non-existent for nearly 10 days. More than 800 000 people lost their homes
and had to be resettled somewhere else.
Although my place of residence is practically on site, I could not go to work for a week
due to the forces of nature at work.
As the water subsided, bodies were found of those who did not make it. Who will
forget the scene of a mother who gave birth to a baby daughter in a tree.
Being a very high risk Malaria
country, nature itself has now provided another danger soon to be much higher than usual
in the area. The dead animals and other dangers from sanitary risks opened a concern for
cholera climbing to an extremely dangerous level.
After a year in Mozambique, with my
moving around to be amongst the people, I contracted Malaria somewhere in the field,
away from my "safe" place of residence.
Three weeks after the floods, as people began to regain their senses from the first
experience, a second flood hit Mozambique, this time accompanied by two cyclones
This is the biggest venture presently in Mozambique with a work-force of 10 000.
I organised a fellowship for the workers (especially those from South Africa ) with
a special service on Sundays.
The local people's understanding of the operation of the church is limited,
hence the fact that an edifice in the city of Maputo has not materialised. 
The
infrastructure in Mozambique is of such a nature that the drainage system does not provide
much relief during the rainy season, never mind floods or cyclones. 
did the rain cause much havoc, but most of the country is surrounded by
rivers, that also burst their banks. 
The existing rivers and the rivers made by the floods moved
peoples homes, furniture and clothes as it moved from one point to the other.
I could share with some mothers
who told me of how they had to sleep standing up, with a child on their back and one child
hanging on for dear life in front. 
As the water subsided, bodies were found of those who did not make it. Who will
forget the scene of a mother who gave birth to a baby daughter in a tree.