KENYA: HEAR OUR VOICES: A flood survivor's tale
Source: IRIN
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RAMISI, 22 November (IRIN) - Nduku
Musili, a 47-year-old mother of six and resident of the flood-hit Kwale district in Kenya's coastal region, tells her story:"I was fast asleep late at night. I felt cold and woke up. I saw what
appeared to be a white sheet spread over the room. I did not realise it was water until I saw cooking utensils and other household items floating about. I got out of bed and my worker helped me and my
children out of the house. The water kept rising and everybody in the village started climbing trees. Adults helped the children, fashioning some kind of hammocks with sacks to hold the little ones
between tree branches."We were perched on trees like birds from Friday night until late afternoon on Sunday when soldiers from the navy arrived and rescued us. A motor boat capsized during the
rescue effort. The soldiers struggled and managed to save six people who were in the boat, but unfortunately a five-year-old was swept away by the fast-moving water. Her body was recovered two days
later."We have lost our homes, our crops, all belongings. The roof of the abandoned building where we have sought shelter leaks badly. The floor gets wet when it rains and we have nowhere to sleep.
Food donated by the Red Cross and other well-wishers gets wet and we have to put it out to dry in the sun. It could get contaminated."We have no homes to go back to even when the rain subsides. We
will need help to build our houses again."jn/mw
