Terre des ommes asks for donations for the victims

For days, large parts of the southern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Sul have been under water - in less than two weeks, as much precipitation fell as in five months. The floods have devastating effects: at least 149 people died in the floods, another 136 are still missing. More than 538,000 people had to leave their houses and now mostly live in emergency accommodation or with relatives and friends. Streets, bridges and communication networks are destroyed, hundreds of thousands of households are without electricity and clean water.

Thanks to the first support from the Volkswagen Working Foundation, Terre des Hommes can help the victims of the flood in two affected areas: Morro da Cruz is a district in south of Porto Alegre. Around 100,000 people with low incomes live here. Most of the work works in informal employment relationships in the center of Porto Alegre or in wealthy districts - for example as a domestic worker or as a cleaning lady. These workplaces were destroyed by the flood, there are no social security.

Almost all households house relatives, friends and acquaintances.

Morro da Cruz lies on a hill and has not been flooded, but is now a refuge for people who had to leave their houses due to the flood: almost all households house relatives, friends and acquaintances, although there were housing and food before the flood.

A local group of women manages a community garden with 50 women and runs a solidarity kitchen. They have already started with the emergency care of affected families. The need for fresh food is so great among the refugees and the impoverished parishioners that further financial support is urgently needed. To help more people, the vegetable garden and the kitchen should be expanded and equipped with water filters and rainwater storage.

The second project location is in Viamão, a structurally weak community in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region. Viamão is directly affected by the flood. Here, too, Terre des Hommes works with the local group of women: a sewing workshop is set up in which women can generate an income by making cover and other textiles from old dresses. Because due to the flood, there is a large excess of donations in clothes.

Further donations are urgently needed to expand the aid measures!

With a third project partner, Terre des Hommes is in close exchange: The sewer cooperative Univens was founded in Vila Nossa Senhora da Aparecida by a women's group about ten years ago. 80 percent of this district of Porto Alegre are now affected by the flood - but the center of the cooperative has been spared and now acts as the central of emergency aid. The cooperative would like to support 300 registered families with food (soup kitchen), mattresses, hygiene articles and electrical appliances when returning to the houses. This can only be realized for people through additional financial support.

Please donate online for the flood victims in Brazil online

Or under the keyword »Flood Aid Brazil«
donation account IBAN DE34 2655 0105 0000 0111 22

Every donation helps!