Helping the Community
Casa Reom has always been there to help its neighbours and do this in a number of different ways.
After Cyclone Idai, YWAM Beira started a programme of house building for some of the poorest people around the city. The programme is funded by organisations and private donors who want to help the people of Beira recover from the devastation caused by cyclone Idai. The staff at Casa Reom are managing this project through their existing links with people in the community.
When cyclone Idai swept through Beira in March 2019, Matilde and her family sheltered under a tree as their mud and grass home was blown away. The trees collapsed on top of each other but miraculously, no-one was injured.
Matilde's husband has no job, although they did have a small business at one time. The family believe it was a miracle that saved them on the night of the cyclone and have been helped by one of Escola Reom's teachers who lives nearby.
The houses are built to withstand any future storms, using a re-enforced concrete structure. They have between 2 and 3 bedrooms as well as a kitchen and living room, a big change from the single-room huts shared by many families.
The houses are built by young people being trained in construction techniques. The college instructors supervise the trainees but it is the whole community who learn! Local people see these methods of building stronger houses, the first step to improving the quality of housing in the city.
The expression on the faces of Matilde and her daughters says it all! They are delighted to receive keys for the door to their new house.
So far, a total of 15 homes have been built for local families around the city of Beira. It is hoped that the impact of this will be a better quality of building by local people who have been able to witness and learn from this project.
Over 100 people have been helped through the supply of building material following the devestation caused by cyclone Idai.
The Casa Reom staff carefully select who to help so that people continue to take responsibility for their own future while those who would otherwise not be able to provide for their families are prioritised.
During Cyclone Idia the town water supply stopped when the electricity was cut off. Having a rainwater well allowed Casa Reom to supply the neighbouring residents with an emergency source of water.
To cater for future emergencies the capacity of the drinking water system has been increased and the well water can be pumped to the toilet block so that the purest water can be reserved for cooking and drinking.