Relief Response to Floods in Orissa

35-year-old Smt. Bimala Tandi lives in Bahalpada, Sambalpur, India.

She is a widow and a mother of four children.

She is a daily wage worker and her main priority is to earn something in order to be able to feed her family for the day.

In her own words
“I live in a mud house with my children, my niece and my mother-in-law, who is ill due to old age. My nightmare is another spell of heavy rains.

My house had two small rooms, but most of it collapsed due to flash floods in Sambalpur.

There was no one in my family to provide support as I am the only bread earner.

“After the collapse of the house, we had to shelter in a school building where my family was provided with cooked food for three days.

I was worried as to how my damaged house could be repaired and my family could get a safe shelter as before. We have come back to our house but because the roof is gone water drops inside with even slight rains.

“I receive a polythene sheet from the volunteers in the distribution point, and I use it for roofing. This means I can at least leave my children in my courtyard when I go out to make daily money.

It is a comfort to me that my family is in one place rather than being dispersed elsewhere. The volunteer who asks me if the polythene is of any use does not know how much use it is to me.

The thought of saving money from my daily earnings for the repair of my damaged house is very stressful to me, as I know that my children will go hungry.”

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