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Cabo Verde Adventists Mobilize Volunteers and Aid for Flood-Hit Islands

Posted on Aou 21 2025

Cabo Verde Adventists Mobilize Volunteers and Aid for Flood-Hit Islands

Praia, August 19, 2025 – In response to the devastating floods that struck São Vicente and Santo Antão on Monday night, 11 August, the Cabo Verde Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church (AIASD-CV) has launched a large-scale solidarity mission combining volunteer work and humanitarian assistance. Reports indicate that the flash flooding claimed several deaths, more than 20,000 injured and thousands of displaced.
The Executive Secretary of the Western Sahel Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Edson Monteiro reported that “so far no Adventist member is missing in those sinistered islands. But many church members lost their houses and some forcibly displaced.”

A group of 30 volunteers from Santo Antão, Sal, Boa Vista, and Santiago will travel to São Vicente on Wednesday August 21, 2025. They will join local Pathfinder and Youth Clubs, already active on the ground, to assist families and communities hardest hit by the torrential rains.
The delegation will be accompanied by the president of the Conference, Pastor Natalino Martins, who will hold meetings with local authorities to define intervention priorities. The mission, coordinated by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), will last 15 days.
AIASD-CV has committed to covering all expenses related to travel, accommodation, and food for the volunteers. Their work will include cleanup operations, reconstruction support, and direct assistance to 15 families—around 70 people—identified by the Crisis Office as the most vulnerable. “Our actions will be fully coordinated with local authorities to ensure efficiency and alignment with community needs,” said Elsa Vieira, a representative of AIASD-CV.
Meanwhile, ADRA is leading a nationwide donation campaign, collecting clothing, non-perishable food, school supplies, and hygiene products at various points across the country. Contributions can also be made through a dedicated bank account. The donations, including those from the Adventist community abroad, will be delivered directly to affected households in São Vicente.

The West-Central Africa Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has also expressed its solidarity with Cabo Verde. In a heartfelt message, Division President Pastor Bassey E. O. Udoh declared: “It is with profound sorrow that we have received the news of the devastating floods… In such moments, words may appear fragile, but love compels us to speak: you are not alone. As members of one body in Christ, your pain is our pain, your tears are our tears.”
Pastor Udoh assured the people of Cabo Verde of the prayers and support of the wider Adventist family: “Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit may sustain you, that Christ may be your refuge, and that His grace may rebuild and restore your beloved and beautiful nation.”
By combining the efforts of volunteers, donors, church leaders, and institutional partners, AIASD-CV and ADRA aim to bring not only relief but also a message of hope to a community struggling to recover from one of the most severe storms in recent years.