Houses are not just walls and roofs, they are where families grow, generations develop, and memories build. After the flood many families in Quatodbin, Punjab are grappling with hardships that are hard to even imagine: houses are destroyed; like fields, which were once crops, are now dark, still water. They would not leave; the connections are far too emotional and meaningful to want to be anywhere but home, even if they are also at home on the streets or in flooded fields. The devastation is inconceivable.
The SHSG team visits every household, providing the families with some direct assistance in the living environment of the home. Due to a lack of fresh drinking water, each household was given a bag of bottled water that they can use for drinking, cooking, etc. We also distributed bed mattresses since families lost all their furniture in the flood, and they are in need of beds.
The purpose is immediate relief and support rebuilding for families to again feel safe living back in the home.
There is significant destruction in the flooded areas.
Farmlands that used to grow crops continue to be covered in stagnant and polluted water, and growing crops here will be impossible.
Fish and other aquatic life have died, and the ecosystem, with people who relied on it, has collapsed.
Homes had damage; walls have cracks, roofs are compromised, and people have lost everything.
Families carry an emotional and financial burden, with the money and time spent over many years on farming and everything purchased day-to-day for the household, and that was lost in an instant.
Hope remains, even at the darkest hour. SHSG volunteers have shown the human spirit can endure, even on the darkest days of lives. The volunteers are restoring dignity, safety, and hope for Nicole and her neighbours who have lost almost everything, by assisting them with reaching out and resourcing their families directly at their home.
These villagers of Quatodbin are strong. They want to stay in their areas, and they want to keep their roots and bloodlines. They need our support. Together, we can relieve their suffering, restore their home, and rebuild their lives.
Support the flood-affected families of Quatodbin.
