(Excerpt from the book ‘The Greek community in Mozambique’)
Most Greeks who arrived in Beira (Mozambique) worked in the construction of the railway. Greeks, Indians, Chinese and other railway workers faced extremely difficulties, not only because of the type of the work but mainly because of the diseases that plagued the area and the wild animals attack. Almost 60% of the Europeans who built the railway line between Beira and Salisbury died from malaria. It should be mentioned that the Greek presence was crucial to the completion of the railway because of their prior experience in similar projects both in Asia Minor and Egypt, and their resistance to the difficult weather conditions and the dangers of the jungle.
