A group of residents in the city of Matola recently held clean-up days in flooded roads and houses to reduce the impact of flooding and the diseases caused by standing water.

This was an initiative promoted by the Micaia Foundation as part of the celebrations for International Volunteer Day (December 5), aimed at highlighting the positive impact of volunteering on communities and giving visibility to various philanthropic actions carried out by individuals and organizations. The action involved residents of the Nkobe neighbourhood, the Novo neighbourhood and other civil society organizations.

"We live in a swampy area and, when it rains, the street is blocked and full of grass, so the aim is, at least once a month, to cut the grass and create drainage ditches so that the water can circulate," said Atanásio João, president of the Community in Action Association (CVA).

Helena Nhampulo, another resident in Nkobe who also took part in the initiative, said that "in rainy weather, we get sick". Apart from the streets, the floodwaters have reached the houses. "We can no longer stay in our homes, because everything is flooded and this is a very critical problem for us," she complains and appeals to those in authority: "we are asking for help so that we can get the street fixed."

(Photo DR)