In March 2019, Cyclone Idai made landfall in Southern Africa, unleashing a torrent of destruction that would be remembered as one of the most severe weather-related disasters ever to strike the Southern Hemisphere. The storm carved a path of devastation through Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. In Mozambique alone, it claimed at least 493 lives, destroyed over 150,000 homes, and displaced more than 1.8 million people. In the face of such overwhelming loss, the journey to recovery seemed insurmountable.
An Immediate Wave of Compassion
As the floodwaters receded, they revealed a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions. With the threat of cholera looming and families facing starvation, the immediate need was for basic survival. It was here that Tzu Chi volunteers first arrived, navigating washed-out roads to reach stranded communities.
In Nhamatanda, Mozambique, volunteers established a unique distribution method. Instead of having recipients line up, they brought aid supplies directly to where families were seated. In the isolated village of Muchai, which had become an island surrounded by floodwaters, volunteers arrived with the first shipment of rice the community had seen since the storm.
LEFT: A resident's joyful smile after receiving aid in Nhamatanda is the greatest encouragement for volunteers. RIGHT: Volunteers accompany an elderly woman home, where the supplies will feed her family for a month. | Photos: Kai-Fan Tsai | Mozambique | 2019/04/07
While assessing damage in Beira, volunteer Dino Foi was moved to tears by a touching sight: an eight-year-old girl named Zinha, whose home had been destroyed, carefully laying her soaked schoolbooks out in the sun to dry. Her quiet determination to save her education became a powerful symbol of hope. This image inspired an education effort, and soon, new schoolbags and stationery were delivered to children who had been sharing single pencils among many.
LEFT: Zinha's determination to save her soaked schoolbooks after Cyclone Idai moved volunteers to act. | Photo: Dino Foi | Mozambique | 2019/03/23. CENTER: Five months later, she reads her new textbooks with volunteer Dino Foi, promising him, "I will study hard." | Photo: Yu-Chia Chu | Mozambique | 2019/08/29. RIGHT: Four years later, in November 2023, Zinha (left) is keeping her promise. After her family relocated from Beira to Manica Province for a better life, she is seen here, focused on her lesson at Panga Primary School. | Photo: Yu-Ying Chiang | Mozambique | 2023/11/21
The medical needs were just as urgent. A multi-national Tzu Chi medical team arrived to set up free clinics at Tica Secondary School in the Nhamatanda District, a mission led by the directors of Taiwan's four major Tzu Chi hospitals: Hualien, Taipei, Taichung, and Dalin. Over three days, they treated more than 670 patients on the first day alone, providing care for injuries and illnesses to many who had never seen a doctor before.
LEFT: Dr. Sheng-Chun Wen (溫聖鈞) (center) provides care during a home visit in Tica village, with volunteer Stayce Foi (right) translating. The medical team went door-to-door to reach those unable to travel to the clinic. | Photo: Kai-Fan Tsai | Mozambique | 2019/04/21 RIGHT: At the free clinic in Tica, obstetrician Dr. Pao-Chu Chen (陳寶珠) uses an ultrasound to provide a clear diagnosis for a woman who believed she was pregnant. The clinic offered vital health services and education to the community. | Photo: Chung-I Wang | Mozambique | 2019/05/19
A Hand of Support Across Borders
The spirit of giving quickly crossed borders. Even before the cyclone made its second, more destructive landfall, Tzu Chi volunteers from Durban, South Africa, had already begun a 2,400-kilometer journey by bus to Malawi. Arriving in the hard-hit Blantyre region, they distributed cornmeal and initiated a "cash-for-work" program, mobilizing villagers to rebuild 70 damaged houses with sturdy bricks.
In Zimbabwe, the devastation was particularly stark in the mountainous Chimanimani region, where entire villages were washed away by mudslides. Survivors returned on foot, crossing makeshift bridges, to a landscape of profound loss. Their search was not for belongings, but for lost relatives. One villager shared the heartbreaking reality with volunteers: "Even if we only find their bodies, at least we can lay them to rest. That would bring us some peace." Into this scene of grief, volunteers brought essential aid, providing food, blankets, and a quiet presence to support those grappling with unimaginable loss.
LEFT: In Malawi, volunteers from South Africa, after a 2,400 km journey, inspired the Ching'ombe community to rebuild together. Villagers worked side-by-side to construct sturdy brick homes for their neighbors. | Photo: Hsien-Pin Chou | Malawi | 2019/03/21 RIGHT: The devastation in Zimbabwe's Chimanimani region was severe, with mudslides destroying infrastructure. This makeshift bridge over a newly formed, fast-flowing river was the only way for residents and volunteers to get in and out of the area. | Courtesy of Tzu Chi Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2019/04/04
Building a New Foundation in Mozambique
The emergency relief was a lifeline, but a more permanent solution was needed. In collaboration with the Mozambican government, a comprehensive plan was set in motion to build not just houses, but entire communities. This led to the creation of four Tzu Chi Great Love Villages in the areas of Metuchira, Kura, Ndeja, and Guara-Guara, to construct 3,128 new homes and rebuild 23 schools.
The approach goes beyond simply providing houses. Through a "work-for-relief" program, residents have been invited to take an active role in the construction. Guided by professional volunteers, they have learned valuable building skills, from laying bricks to finishing walls. This initiative not only ensures the homes are built with care but also empowers residents with new skills and a renewed sense of ownership.
Faced with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortage of skilled construction workers and resources, Tzu Chi continues to push forward despite these unforeseen challenges and delays. On June 17, 2024, the Metuchira Great Love Village celebrated the handover of its 410 completed homes. A year later, on June 11, 2025, it was the Kura community’s turn, as 171 families received the keys to the homes they had helped build. To ensure the health of these new communities, sustainable slow sand filtration systems were installed, providing safe drinking water and preventing waterborne diseases. (Read More)
LEFT: During the construction of the Great Love Village, a work-for-relief program was implemented. Professional volunteers taught residents construction techniques, enabling them to participate in building their own homes and fostering confidence for the future. | Photo: Emmy Chen (陳宜青) | Mozambique RIGHT: A joyful moment in Kura Great Love Village as the slow sand filter is officially inaugurated, providing safe drinking water to the community. Villagers line up to taste the clean water, with volunteer Maria Mavumdlha (right) pouring a cup for a resident. | Photo: Jihong Gu (古繼紅) | Mozambique | 2024/08/13
Sowing Seeds for a Sustainable Future
Recovery extends beyond housing. The cyclone also decimated education, and the project to rebuild 23 schools across Sofala Province is well underway. A flagship of this effort is the new Mafambisse Secondary School, now the largest secondary school in Mozambique. Inaugurated in early 2024, it replaced a building left with just three classrooms after the storm and now provides 58 classrooms, modern labs, and a library for over 6,500 students.
The impact is just as profound at the primary level. At the rebuilt Kura Comprehensive Primary School, the student population has grown from 500 to over 900. For students like Artur Félix, who used to walk 45 minutes to study under a tree, the new school is a dream. "The school itself offers numerous attractions, from the inviting classrooms to the well-maintained toilets," he said with a smile.
LEFT: Despite their school being destroyed by Cyclone Idai, the students of Graça Machel Primary School were determined to continue learning. Classes were held in this makeshift shelter with a dirt floor, where the children's focus demonstrates a powerful resilience in the face of hardship. | Photo: Kai-Fan Tsai | Mozambique | 2019/05/14 RIGHT: With the solid structure of the rebuilt Graça Machel Primary School in the background, a student reads aloud with encouragement from local volunteer Maria Mavumdlha (left) and Yi-Ching Chen (right). Volunteers also distributed clothes donated by students in Taiwan. | Photo: Soares Joaquim | Mozambique | 2024/09/13
The support extends to the students themselves. A project to distribute 23,000 school uniforms is helping to restore dignity and confidence. Local teacher Agila explained the profound impact: "In this challenging community, having uniforms not only brings energy to the children but also eliminates the disparities caused by different family backgrounds. This is a significant encouragement for the children; they are more willing to attend school and less likely to miss classes."
LEFT: A teacher at 3 de Fevereiro Primary School respectfully presents a new uniform to a student. The distribution included 1,021 sets of uniforms and shoes, bringing warmth and encouragement to the children. RIGHT: Wearing their new uniforms, students gather for a joyful group photo. | Photos: Ezra Millise | Mozambique | 2025/06/03
Cultivating Hope from the Ground Up
To address food insecurity in Sofala Province, the Great Love Farm project has grown to encompass seven farms across 33.5 hectares. More than 2,000 local villagers volunteer their time to cultivate these lands, transforming them into a source of nourishment and stability for the entire region.
LEFT: Volunteers work together to water crops at the Great Love Farm in Metuchira. Their collective effort transforms the land into a source of nourishment for the community. | 2021/08/12. RIGHT: The harvest is then personally delivered to the most vulnerable families, providing them with fresh, nutritious vegetables. | 2021/07/07. | Photos: Tzu Chi Mozambique | Mozambique.
Because these volunteers are part of the community, they know exactly who needs help the most: an elderly woman raising her grandchildren alone, or a single mother working hard to feed her family. After harvesting a rotating variety of crops—from maize and beans one season to cabbage and tomatoes the next—they personally deliver the fresh produce to vulnerable households. This direct support not only provides a pleasant surprise for the families but also supplies ingredients for hot meals at local schools, ensuring the community benefits from the land's bounty.
From Survivors to Givers: The Rise of Local Heroes
While the new homes and schools are visible markers of recovery, the most profound change has been within the people themselves. This transformation was sparked by an extraordinary commitment from 18 local volunteers from Mozambique's capital, Maputo. They left their homes, jobs, and families behind, relocating 1,200 kilometers (about 750 miles) to the disaster-stricken Sofala Province. Their mission was to lead the long-term relief and rebuilding efforts, living among the survivors and helping them rebuild their lives from the ground up.
Marta Fernando Mondlane embodies the spirit of this group. A survivor of a previous flood, she felt a deep connection to those who had lost everything. Though illiterate and living in poverty herself, she moved to Sofala, leaving her children behind. Her son, Arseni, initially questioned her decision, but Marta’s daily calls of encouragement transformed his perspective. "Worldly jobs are temporary," she told him, "but the selfless love that Master Cheng Yen asks us to practice is eternal." Inspired by her unwavering dedication, Arseni dedicated himself to his studies and was accepted into the country's top university.
This spirit of giving back also blossomed from within the disaster-hit communities. Quizito Baera is a living example. After Cyclone Idai destroyed his home, he received seeds from Tzu Chi and diligently cultivated his land. With the income from his first harvest, he bought a bicycle, reducing his travel time to his farm from four hours to one. Inspired, he became the first certified volunteer in his village and now leads the vocational sewing class that produced the school uniforms for local children. "I'd rather be a volunteer than an aid recipient," he said, "as I wish to inspire more people to help others in need."
Today, the scars of Cyclone Idai are overlaid with powerful stories of renewal. The journey has been more than just rebuilding what was lost; it is about restoring dignity, fostering self-reliance, and igniting a cycle of goodness. As the local volunteers often say, "Alone we go fast, together we go far." The communities that once faced utter despair are now standing on their own feet, filled with hope and empowered to create their own brighter future.
