A kitchen window blown from its frame; rain slanting horizontally inwards; part of the roof torn into the sky;
tropical storm Idai struck the home of Peter van Tongeren on 14 March this year. The experience added an extra
dimension to his subsequent role in the reconstruction of Beira, the city in Mozambique where he lives and works.
Van Tongeren, VNG International associate expert for the RVO and DEALS programme, told his tale during the lunch
and learning session at VNG on 15 July. Some 25 people, mostly VNG staff, attended. Irene Oostveen of VNG
International described the themes of discussion: the (managerial) role of municipalities and VNG in the event of
a disaster, setting up a post disaster needs assessment and the follow-up steps towards recovery. 
You can read the report of the discussion here