- GE made the donation of $50 000 to the International Red Cross - Mozambique
- Donation will go towards assisting over 200 000 victims of the recent floods that hit Southern Mozambique
- GE's donation will assist the Red Cross to continue their efforts of improving sanitation in a bid to reduce the risk of diseases such as malaria and health problems related to diarrhoea
Maputo, Mozambique: General Electric Company (GE: NYSE)'s Mozambican office today made a donation of over 1,500 000.00 Mozambican Metical (US $50 000) to the over 240 000 displaced victims of the recent torrential rains that caused flooding in Mozambique.
The floods were caused by the massive flooding of the Limpopo-river, which completely submerged towns such as Chokwe and Canicado, and has affected the southern province of Gaza the most. GE's donation comes at a time when the death toll and the number of displaced people continues to increase amid varied aid agencies working on the ground to contain the situation. To date, it is reported that the current situation has claimed the lives of 113 people.
The GE donation hand over was made to the Mozambican Red Cross by a visiting delegation of senior GE executives led by GE Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Global Operations, Shane Fitzsimons and GE Africa Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Konditi. GE's incoming Mozambique Country Manager, Vinicius Dall 'Armellina, shared GE's message of support to the government and the people of Mozambique as well as the families of the affected Mozambicans.
Fitzsimons said "the damage caused by the floods is unfortunate and a set back to the country's commendable development. Mozambique is experiencing an upward trajectory in infrastructure development and economic growth, both of which will improve the lives of ordinary Mozambicans in the near future".
Konditi further added that GE shares the same vision of creating a better life for all with the government of Mozambique. "It is for this reason therefore that we believe that the public and the private sector need to work together to put the current situation behind and refocus on building Mozambique into an economic power house". Speaking during the donation handover, Respeito Chirrinze, from the Mozambican Red Cross thanked GE and assured the delegation that the money will be put into good use. "Our work has been made easier by this donation as it will enable us to reach more people with our varied assistance that includes ensuring that during this critical time, the displaced people have access to good sanitation. This will also ensure that the risk of opportunistic diseases such as malaria and health problems related to diarrhoea is minimised," Chirrinze said.
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For more information, contact:
Thulisile Phiri
Media Relations Manager – GE Africa
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Thulisile.phiri@ge.com