Society of St Vincent De Paul builds homes for Flood victims

After Zimbabwe's 2014 flooding that resulted in the partial collapse of the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam Wall, regional and international NGOs, local corporations, Churches and individuals were moved to help the estimated 60,000 people that the flooding displaced. Whole families found themselves in temporary holding places at Chingwizi, Chisase and Masangula in Nuanetsi Ranch, Mwenezi Districts.

The Society of St Vincent De Paul (SSVP), an international Catholic fraternal organisation of lay persons who seek, in the spirit of justice and charity and by person to person involvement, to help those who are suffering, decided to construct houses for some of the affected. Permission was granted by the Government of Zimbabwe’s Department of Social Welfare for SSVP in Zimbabwe to provide about 8 needy families with a two roomed house each.

In a show of how the families valued their new homes more than the camping tents they had been using, all eight families moved in before the structures were even complete. Completion of the flooring and painting happened long after the owners had moved in.

Recently, Holy Mass was celebrated to officially open the houses. The Mass was conducted by the Triangle Parish Priest, Fr Fidelis Dakwaho who represented the Bishop of Masvingo.

(Jesuit Communications Zimbabwe –Mozambique)

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