Flood Damage Embo | 12 March 2019

A young mother, carrying her young baby boy, arrived with her mother and father to see if they could find support for the loss they had faced. In the early hours of that morning the rains had formed a rushing river of water to flow onto their home from above. The weight of the water resulted in the walls of the home collapsing onto the young mother as she embraced her child. The grandfather awoke to the scene of his daughter and grandchild buried beneath a pile of rubble. He managed to pull them free and then they watched their belongings and housing materials wash down the valley with the flood waters. When the family arrived on the steps of CityHope Disaster Relief the 2-year-old boy was wearing nothing, but a loose towel wrapped around his waist. The CityHope team quickly dressed the boy in warm clothing and gathered a significant package of food, clothing, blankets and household items together before we went with the family to view the site. A social media campaign was created to gather donations from the community and Oxford Village as well as numerous individuals showed their generosity with groceries, nappies, furniture and carpets. The family managed to locate alternative accommodation across the valley and CityHope supported them with food and necessities for the following month.