HELPING THE COMMUNITY TO REBUILD FOLLOWING A FATAL FLOOD

It’s difficult to imagine a whole community struck by disaster – one which invades every home and shakes every individual, and strips everything away.

In December, that’s what happened to the communities living next to the River Espejo. Boulders from a nearby mountain had dislodged and dammed the river, causing it to flood. Heavy rains in the night compounded the problem. A torrent of water carrying mud, trees and sand came pelting down with huge force, washing away buildings, vehicles, animals and people.

“My neighbour told me to get out,” shared Maria, a grandmother who has lived by the river for all of her life. “Suddenly, the water arrived. It went inside the house. My granddaughter was shouting for help. Eventually, the waters dropped and our neighbours came to help us get away.”

The days following the flood were heartbreaking at every level. There had been 20 fatalities, with many more people reported missing. Homes and businesses had been destroyed, crops and animals lost.

Feed The Hungry partner, R Mission Bolivia, who had also been affected by the flood, began ministering to and helping those in the local community who were grieving. They started helping neighbours to clear their homes from the sand deposited by the subsiding waters, and provided food and drinks to those who had lost everything.

Over the following weeks, as the community recovered from the devastation, Isaac and Anali from R Mission Bolivia, became a lifeline – buying pots, pans and furniture to replace items that their neighbours had lost.

Isaac shared, “We found out needs within the community and started to assist with practical provisions, from saucepans and cutlery to beds and mattresses and pillows. Some people just needed really basic stuff like clean water.”

Isaac and Anali are continuing to love their local community who have lost so much. Please donate to support their live-saving work.