Enoch and Mary live on a homestead in the village of Kadewere in the Zomba district of Malawi with their four children. Despite being totally blind, Enoch knows every inch of his home, or he did until the rains came.
Just before Christmas, the monsoon rains started. But they weren’t like normal rains – they flooded rivers and brought devastating gales.
A home with no roof
The winds blew the roof of Enoch and Mary’s house off and left them exposed. The torrential rains hammered down on the rest of the structure and shortly after, the walls crumbled. All of their precious belongings were lost. They were left to sleep in the remains of the house, with no protection from the elements.
But for Mary, the worst was yet to come. She had to leave Enoch and the children and brave a long, frightening journey alone to find help from the nearest emergency camp. Many miles and hours later she arrived and came across a ShelterBox team.
Relief at last
We took Mary home to her village. We helped to put up a tent, and gave the family a ShelterBox. From warm blankets and a cooking set to solar lights and a tool kit, it contained everything they needed to survive. Not just survive, but to start picking up the threads of daily life, to start looking to the future.
Staying in the tent felt like I was staying in a house with a roof of iron sheets.
Rebuilding a home
With the security of the sturdy ShelterBox tent to protect them from the elements, the family could start to rebuild. Using the tool kit included in the ShelterBox, they are now putting the finishing touches on their new house, including a neat, smoothed-down floor.
Your support helps us to reach people like Enoch and Mary 365 days of the year.
Right now, there are many more families who have lost everything. You can help give them comfort and security in their darkest hour.