Details are finally coming out about the amazingly few people missing and harmed in yesterday's flooding: the major problem seems to be 150 000 people whose homes were knocked down or melted by the floods (lots of newly-settled areas with just mudbrick), and many small businesses lost stock destroyed by metres of water. Many are sheltered in schools which will be needed soon when the academic year restarts. I've linked a few photos to my Facebook profile.
Philippe's new mudbrick shelter on the unsurveyed land he's been buying withstood a wall of water (he found out he's located in a major drainage path from the hill behind) and only leaked inside at foundation level since his typhoid last week prevented him doing a planned layer of protective cement. Leah's place was OK, but she said her neighbour (with whom they share a garden wall) was waist-deep inside and the water started coming their way so she dammed up the hole to keep the water the neighbour's side! Our cook at IMS, Esther, had water to knee level, lost family documents, a bedroom and outside kitchen.
Philippe's new mudbrick shelter on the unsurveyed land he's been buying withstood a wall of water (he found out he's located in a major drainage path from the hill behind) and only leaked inside at foundation level since his typhoid last week prevented him doing a planned layer of protective cement. Leah's place was OK, but she said her neighbour (with whom they share a garden wall) was waist-deep inside and the water started coming their way so she dammed up the hole to keep the water the neighbour's side! Our cook at IMS, Esther, had water to knee level, lost family documents, a bedroom and outside kitchen.
Paspanga EE/SIM church was inundated up to roof level. Only one person was living in the pastor's house and he was able to save a few church items.
We the SIM Ouaga missionaries discussed our response tonight at prayer meeting : it's the time of year all our acquaintances are asking for loans for school fees, now there will be rebuilding/restocking needs as well so we are going to pool our response to local contacts to be distributed in consulation with church people to avoid over-duplication of some and missing out others.
I feel blessed that I was just moving furniture and wringing out floor cloths for the leaks down nearly every wall in contact with the outside and was encouraged to stay home from work and avoid the roads. Our ditches dug in the past for rainfall runoff worked well and hours after the rain stopped the earth was visible again.(that sounded a bit Noah-like!).
BBC's coverage - identical to many websites http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8235040.stm
Olivia, a short-termer has photos on her blog http://oliviainafrica.wordpress.com/ and Christine, a short-term teacher here gives a good description on http://web.me.com/baeders/The_Baeders/Blog/Entries/2009/9/2_Effects_of_the_Flood.html.
