APT Partnering churches were at the forefront of response following devastating floods that left thousands homeless in Gorom-Gorom in August 2006.

Three people died and about 8,000 people in the region lost their homes. In Gorom-Gorom itself, more than 600 homes were lost, affecting about half of the town's population of 12,000.  Because the disaster was not large enough to make international news, response was slow. And so the church in Gorom-Gorom asked if we could help.

What Happened

The disaster struck following a large rain, when 136cm (5.5")of rain fell (nearly half the normal year's rainfall) in 6 hours. A dam 7km away at Touro burst as a result of the heavy rain. The resultant floods swept through Gorom-Gorom, reportedly waist-high in parts, eroding the mud-brick buildings of the town.
It is estimated that over 600 households were destroyed in Gorom-Gorom, leaving over 6,000 people homeless. In addition, a further 200 households were reported to be affected in villages outside of Gorom-Gorom.

It is reported that only 2 or 3 people died, mostly in attempts to recover material from broken houses, and few people were seriously injured. This is put down to the fact of the flood happening during the day when people had enough awareness to be able to flee. If the flood had happened at night, it is recognised that hundreds, if not thousands, would have died.

Rice fields by the barrage, and millet fields along the flood course were washed away. The water in Gorom-Gorom town however dispersed fairly rapidly - mostly within 36 hours. This meant that potential hygiene and water-borne risks of cholera etc due to overflowing pit latrines and standing water were much reduced, as the land dried out quickly.

Our response
Working through the local church, we were able to provide the following help, thanks to generous contributions by Christians in the UK, US, and elsewhere.

Phase 1: Aid Distribution

Distribution of aid was undertaken in each of the 5 sections of town, with 2 representatives of the church at each site, supported by representatives of the local authorities to help with distribution and ensure security at the distribution sites. The following aid was distributed by the Gorom Church Group to 819 households, comprising 6199 people in Gorom-Gorom, as well as to families in two small villages outside of Gorom also affected by the flood:

Date Distribution
25/08/2006     10.7 tonnes sorghum
01/09/2006     11.7 tonnes millet
09/09/2006     11 tonnes millet
26/09/2006     1000 mosquito nets
03/11/2006     1000 mats, 1000 blankets

Mosquito nets, blankets, and mats that were left over were given to the local hospital,
to the orphanage, and to the pastor to distribute to people in need as they saw fit.
Distributions appear to have been orderly and without problem of theft. The collaboration with local authorities seems generally to have been welcome
and smooth.

Towards the end of October, UNICEF provided 400 blue tarpaulins, that were used to
provide shelter in two "tent camps" in Gorom-Gorom. Many of the most vulnerable took shelter in these camps.

Phase 2: Reconstruction
In phase 2, we moved on to help some of the most vulnerable people rebuild their homes. We identified 31 of the most needy people - mostly widows and other elderly people who have no-one to help them. While others had started building for themselves, these are the people who would remain homeless for years unless something was done for them. They had 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. By the time we had finished 12 houses, we were still the only people to have started building to help people.

We are building simple homes of two models:

1. Tin Roof Houses. Most of the 31 houses we have built are like this: made with mud brick with a tin roof, but with tarmac plastering to waterproof it, and a cement "belt" round the bottom to protect the first 40cm from flooding erosion.

2. 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.

Apart from the houses built, we also in the process provided occasional or regular work for over 100 people, including brick-makers, builders and labourers, carpenters, plasterers, donkey cart owners etc. Most of the materials were sourced locally, increasing input to the local economy. Only the tar, unavailable locally, was brought in from outside.