In April 2018 River Tana, the biggest river in Kenya burst its banks following heavy rains. Amina and her children, along with hundreds of others in their community lost their home. Now 35 year-old Amina Ali Dubow, her husband and their five children ages four to 12 years-old—two boys and three girls—live in a temporary camp near Minjila Center, Garsen.
Before the floods came, Amina—a small business owner—and her husband—an agro-pastoralist–owned a few cows, goats, sheep and chicken as well and grew beans, vegetables, maize, cow pea and vegetables on their two-acre piece of land. Both have no formal education, but strive to see that their children go to school.
When the waters were rising, Amina and her husband rescued their children and some of their flock and property, but their farm, including the grass thatched house, was completely submerged and their livestock swept away by the floods. They were to a safer ground and relocated to the camp.
Life in the camp has not been easy for this family. The tent they live in is cramped and when they arrived their only food source was rations provided by humanitarian aid. Amina had to walk for two hours each way to bring home 20L of clean water. Her children are malnourished, exposed to respiratory infections as well as water borne diseases. The younger children have to wake up very early in the morning to walk 10km to the nearest primary school, returning to the camp at 7pm in the evening. Their journey to school leaves them exposed to dangers of wild animals.
Seeing the challenges facing Amina’s family and other families in the camp, CWS stepped in provide access to clean and safe water as well as food and non-food items. CWS began by installing two water tanks in the camp, each with a capacity of 10,000L that are filled with water every week, and constructed two mobile toilets for the community. Amina and others in the camp were given three 20L water containers and nine packets of aqua tabs for water purification, and they received training on hygiene and sanitation.
Amina’s family was also given a donation of 17kg of maize meal, 17kg of rice, two liters of cooking oil and ½ kg of salt. Each of the 89 households in the camp received the same rations, enough to last them at least one month while they prepared to go back home and rebuild their lives.
Amina is so grateful for the support that CWS Africa has provided. She acknowledges that no other agency has provided such support for the critical needs of the community in a very structured and organized manner. Amina thanked CWS for being so considerate to the special category of people in the camp including the elderly, people living with disabilities as well as pregnant and lactating women. CWS hopes to support the affected communities with reconstruction as well as agricultural and livelihood recovery.
Michael Kendagor: Coordinator Emergency Response and DRR-CWS Africa.