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January 08, 2007

Gorom-Gorom Flood Response Phase 2

I have been really busy with the second phase of our response to the flood in Gorom-Gorom that left thousands homeless.

Phase 1 was emergency aid, including food, mosquito nets, blankets, and mats.

Phase 2 - rebuilding
We have now moved on to help some of the most vulnerable people rebuild their homes. We have identified about 30 of the most needy people - mostly widows and other elderly people who have no-one to help them. While others have started building for themselves, these are the people who would remain homeless for years unless something was done for them. They have been mostly sleeping under mat shelters suffering with the cold season.

The need to build was urgent not only because of the cold, but also because of the shortage of water for building. We have now nearly finished 12 houses, and are as yet the only people to have started building to help people, although other agencies have plans to start soon. We are building simple homes of two models: one is a mud and cement structure with a metal roof. The other is a woodless construction as a joint venture with the Development Workshop.

Woodless Constructions
These are fascinating buildings built entirely of mud - even the roof. They are not only environmentally friendly because they do not use up scarce wood supplies. They also have a better internal temperature - staying warmer in the cold season, and cooler in hot season than houses with the tin roof. And they seem to resist the rain better than other mud brick constructions. We would have liked to do all our buildings in this style, but some very practical limitations prevented that. However, we hope that those we do build will also promote awareness of the benefits of this model.


Thank you again to those of you who by your generosity have enabled us to take these actions. Our team for organising and overseeing the rebuilding is a small group of volunteers from the local church in Gorom. Please pray for us as we continue to try to serve faithfully. Thank you. I will post photos with more information soon.

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Posted by Keith at January 8, 2007 07:18 PM