Barbara Hofmann Speaks about ASEM at TEDxAmsterdamWomen

By ASEM - April 24, 2013

Barbara Hoffmann gives a powerful,inspiring and heartfelt account of how a Swiss financial manager like her ended up in Mozambique, not knowing that her life was about to begin with the children and their new lives in ASEM at TEDxTalksAmsterdamWomen. She recounts the many struggles of ASEM and the inspiration the children provided her and how, together against all odds, they built their own place in sun. She ends her talk invoking the goodness in people; challenging the audience to seize that very moment and actto help others in need; to end violence, greed and the vicious cycle of povertythat haunts and kills.
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Reach out – The worst flood since 2000 hits Mozambique

By ASEM - February 12, 2013

The latest downpours have already killed 35 people since the start of the rainy season in October 2012. (AFP)

Darkly reminiscent of the terrible flood that inundated Mozambique in 2000, which led to the death of about 800 men, women and children, destroying 1,400 square meters of agricultural land, 20,000 heads of cattle missing and 630 schools closed.

To date, the deluge which began to build up during the onset of the rainy and tropical cyclone season late last year leading to the alarming rise of water levels at the Limpopo river and other major tributaries, has left 68 people dead and about 250,000 displaced or affected, with nine major rivers above crisis levels. Power supply, including power exports to South Africa, is also at risk as key power lines got damaged as a consequence of the Limpopo river overflow.

Residents on the roof of a house surrounded by floodwaters in Chokwe district, southern Mozambique, January 25, 2013 (AFP/File, Ussene Mamudo)

It’s heartbreaking to see people still in the middle of their life struggles having to deal with the drastic consequences of current global weather conditions. And unlike their developed counterparts, countries in Africa like Mozambique buckle under such crippling circumstances.

A lot of NGOs, private individuals and the UN – including ASEM, are doing their level best to alleviate the dramatically reduced circumstances of the already-struggling people of Mozambique.

Fears of the outbreak of diseases like cholera and malaria are high.

Financial assistance and help in the form of medical and food supplies, tents, mosquito nets, clothing and bedding are needed.

References:

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/b06d8d004e526bb0b03db7f251b4e4e2/Mozambique-flood-death-toll-set-to-rise-20132601

http://www.voanews.com/content/united-nations-reports-devastating-damages-after-mozambique-flood/1595319.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/20131268208905951.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21206347

http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2013/01/floods-in-mozambique-displace-150000/

http://mg.co.za/article/2013-01-22-over-50-000-people-in-danger-after-floods-hit-mozambique

http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/energy/2013/01/24/floods-in-mozambique-damage-power-lines-cut-exports-to-sa

http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2013/02/mozambique-emergency-response-to-flooding.cfm

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_SFmNurlI8QzxE18py0JhTn-QHA?docId=CNG.f8544aa31fb97d9125396d1458e815bd.2f1

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