We were in South India in March and April going door to door to help families who lost their homes from flooding. The water had receeded so low that an old bridge across the river was now above water so we could get there (see photo). We handed out double steel beds, propane stoves and propane tanks, full kitchenware sets and tarps to 52 families. We went house to house and simply asked what they needed. Snakes were the biggest fear as people were sleeping on the ground. Some larger families got two beds a home. A few families could afford a rental place but they were the exception. Several were elderly women alone so they had no one else to help them. The houses were mostly destroyed completely as the photos show. A few had part of the house destroyed and people were living in the remaining part; maybe more dangerous. For such a large order it had to be delivered in truckloads. The last one is scheduled to arrive 9 May. We reasured the families that although we were leaving the supplies were definitely coming to them, delivered to each home or wherever they were living. They are very used to people coming “with clipboards” and never coming back. We will be back in July to check with each family and with the over 200 children we have in tuitions in South India.
