Terre des Ommes is asking for donations for the victims

For days, large parts of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul have been underwater – in less than two weeks, as much rain fell as normally falls in five months. The floods have had devastating consequences: at least 149 people have died in the floods, and another 136 are still missing. More than 538,000 people have had to leave their homes and are now mostly living in emergency shelters or with relatives and friends. Roads, bridges, and communication networks have been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of households are without electricity and clean water.

Thanks to initial support from the Volkswagen Employee Foundation terre des hommes can help flood victims in two affected areas: Morro da Cruz is a district in the south of Porto Alegre. Around 100,000 people with low incomes live here. A large proportion work in informal employment in the center of Porto Alegre or in wealthier neighborhoods – for example, as domestic workers or cleaners. These workplaces were destroyed by the flood, and there is no social safety net.

Almost all households host relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Morro da Cruz is situated on a hill and was not flooded, but is now a refuge for people who had to leave their homes due to the flood: Almost all households are accommodating relatives, friends and acquaintances, even though living space and food were already scarce before the flood.

A local women's group of 50 women cultivates a community garden and runs a community kitchen. They have already begun providing emergency aid to affected families. However, the need for fresh food among refugees and impoverished community members is so great that further financial support is urgently required. To help more people, the vegetable garden and kitchen are to be expanded and equipped with water filters and rainwater harvesting systems.

The second project site is in Viamão, a structurally weak community in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area. Viamão was directly affected by the floods. Here, too terre des hommes is working with the local women's group: a sewing workshop is being set up where women can earn an income by making blankets and other textiles from used clothing. This is because the floods have resulted in a large surplus of clothing donations.

Further donations are urgently needed to expand aid measures!

terre des hommes is in close contact with a third project partner: the UNIVENS seamstresses' cooperative, founded about ten years ago in Vila Nossa Senhora da Aparecida by a group of women. Eighty percent of this district of Porto Alegre has now been affected by the floods – but the cooperative's center was spared and is now serving as an emergency relief hub. The cooperative aims to support 300 registered families with food (soup kitchen), mattresses, hygiene products, and electrical appliances to help them return home. This can only be achieved through additional financial support for the people.

Please donate online to help the flood victims in Brazil

or under the keyword "Flood Relief Brazil"
donation account IBAN DE34 2655 0105 0000 0111 22

Every donation helps!