“Our house resists the storms”

Following the storm which broke the dam, sea water destroyed the family’s kitchen garden: the marrows and cucumbers rotted on the stem. The house, however, resisted as it did during each of the three or four annual storms. The mother, Maram, explained that she was glad to be living in this house with solid foundations: “I am no longer worried that the water will wash it away. Moreover, if a very large cyclone is announced, we can take refuge in a large shelter on piles built in the centre of the village.”

Initially, in 2007, Tdh provided the disaster victims with food, clothing, cooking utensils and medical care. The father built a temporary shelter not far from the new shoreline using materials which they were able to salvage. But the wind constantly blew into their hut. For months, the three children had trouble sleeping.

One year later, Terre des hommes was able to rebuild a house on a new plot allotted by the government as the old sandy ground had been washed away by the sea. Tdh also installed a dry ecological latrine which does not contaminate the surrounding water. Shimu, who is the oldest of three children, is proud to show us the family latrine for which she is responsible and which she conscientiously keeps in good condition! Every day, she checks that it is clean and throws cold ashes from the kitchen into the pit.