Devastated by marauding floods - Alice's story of surprise night-waters

She had just put her kids to sleep and was getting ready to call it a night as well, when the first drop of water hit her roof. She actually smiled to herself thinking about how peaceful their night was about to be. There is something about rain drops hitting iron sheet roofs that is soothing and that sleep just hits differently. So, she was gearing up for a beautiful night with blissful sleep, and blissful sleep she did get until it was not so blissful anymore.

So back to the blissful sleep that night, Alice slept and did not realize her house had flooded. It’s that iron sheet effect she jokingly tells me. Her daughters woke her up panicked by the rising water levels. At this point half of her bed stands were in the water. Her kids joined her up on the bed and they decided to wait it out that night, realizing that even their neighbours had been adversely affected.

“That night was scary. We were afraid to do anything because we did not want to be carried away by the water. I got a call from a friend, whose house had completely submerged and she was looking for refuge. I could not help her. A friend of mine also called offering to help, but we could not even leave the house. It was completely flooded and the water levels were rising by the hour as the rain intensified.” “Normally I put on slippers or sandals inside the house and gumboots outside the house, but thanks to the floods I now put on gumboots inside my house and I’m able to walk in slippers and sandals outside the house. It is the one thing I have never experienced in my life. It is as if I have become one with the water. “

Alice is the last man standing. All her neighbours, even those in the neighbouring compound have had to vacate. She says she is unable to move because she fears not being able to come back when the floods stop, finding affordable houses and the cost of relocating is hefty. Also, she feels like she doesn’t want to bother any of her friends who are equally affected in one way or another.

She now slowly copes with the aftermaths of the deluge hoping the situation gets back to normal soon. The question she has is; what is normal? How do you move on when everything as you know it has drastically changed and you have to make new moves and decisions. Like where to next? 

This question was however partly answered by the support received from the Mukuru Youth Initiative (MUYI), an Oxfam partner in Nairobi's Mukuru area. Alice is one of the 300 participants enlisted in the area and who have received a cash transfer of KES 7,333 and an assortments of Non food Items, like pieces of bar soap, packs of powdered soap,  jerrycans and buckets to store wate. She has also received water token vouchers allowing her to access 80 litres of water at the various water ATM’s everyday. This has given Alice reprieve as she is able to cater for her most basic needs at the moment. She has been able to pay school fee balance for her child in University and buy some food commodities for her and her family.