Help for "a Baixadinha"!
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday heavy rainfalls have ravaged my new home Rio de Janeiro and the consequences as of now - Wednesday, 10th April - are devastating: So far ten people have lost their lives and thousands have lost their homes and belongings. The picture is from an area not far from where I live, Jardim Maravilha in Campo Grande. The whole area has been flooded and literally every single house has had water come in, as the water levels reached between 1,50 and 2 metres.
My immediate neighbourhood, "Baixadinha", just 1 mile away was also flooded, and many families have lost the majority of their belongings, and few even lost their proper home. This area is close to a small river which has risen and set the whole area under water. We've just been there and pretty much every house has a heap of rubbish outside: broken furniture, soaked mattresses, clothes, toys, food - all ready to be binned. We also met a friend of my boyfriend's who had to just recently moved to that area and now lost everything, too.
The Condomínio I live in has started a donation campaign, because these people need clothes (especially for children), towels, blankets, bedding, toiletries & nappies and cleaning products. They also need non-perishable foods like rice, beans, sugar, oil, pasta and drinking water.
We have already cleaned out our wardrobes and packed a bundle of our clothes, shoes and whatever the kids don't need anymore. We have already brought it to the collection point where we live and it's amazing how much people have already given in less than 24 hours of our syndicate Maria José starting this campaign.
However, I would like to do a a bit more and - without just merely putting your attention to what has happened here - ask you to give whatever you think is doable, to help those people get back on their feet again.
The money will go entirely towards those affected by the rainfalls, and I will work with our syndicate to make sure it is spent on things with urgent need.
To give you an idea:
5 kg of rice - £2.40 / 2.80€
1kg beans - £0.70 / 0.80€
A pack of nappies - £3 / 3.50€
1kg pasta - £0.60 / 0.70€
500gr Milk Powder - £1.60 / 1.85€
Toothpaste - £0.40 / 0.47€
1 liter of milk - £0.50 / 0.58€
1kg sugar - £0.35 / 0.41€
1 liter frying oil - £0.70 / 0,80€
So, you see that even €/£5 could go a long way and help someone in need.
If you want to see a few pictures of how the rain has had its way with Rio, click this link:
https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/ao-vivo/rio-em-estado-de-crise.ghtml
To load more content, go to the bottom of the page and click on "VEJA MAIS".
Thank you very much!
The letter we got yesterday, which reads:
We have lots of homeless people, especially in our neighbourhood "Baixadinha", where several families are without a roof over their head. For this reason we ask you to have a look in your homes, because they will need every little bit that you are able to donate.
The administration of the Condomínio will be collecting the donations as soon as possible.
We need:
Cleaning products
Sanitary products
Non-perishable foods
Clothes for adults and children
Bedding
Towels
Every donation is welcome.
May God give you back multiple times in your lifetime and bless you. Thank you very much. 
The usual sight today, everything which the water destroyed was cleared out.
The river which couldn't hold all the water falling from the sky. On the balcony (left) you can see how far the water came up.
More stuff outside. All going to the rubbish tip.
A pre-school clearing out furniture and toys.
Mattresses and furniture on the sidewalk.
Further down the river. Again you can see where the water came up to, a good metre.
Our syndicate Dona Maria José with the already sorted and packed donations from the residents. She will be keeping in touch with the people in the area and communicate the things that are needed. 
Sorting through donations. They will be packed separately so they can be distributed easier.
The first food donations.
