* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The sun is hot in Abulgasim, a small village in Sudan’s Khartoum state with just 260 households. A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is there delivering emergency shelter to families who lost their homes in the recent devastating flooding that has affected most of the country.
The SRT wander around the ruined village, looking at the piles of sun-dried bricks that only recently were a family’s secure home. But the bricks dissolved when the floodwaters rose. They hear the sound of laughter and a young girl appears from behind one of the only walls left standing. She stares at them. A companion from the Sudanese Red Crescent calls out to her. There is a rapid exchange of words and they follow.
They see a man sitting on a bench with a woman and a young child. They listen to their story.
His name is Mohammad Mustafa and he has had cataracts in both eyes for over four years, with no chance of the simple operation he needs. He has his wife and six children.
Home destroyed
‘When the waters rose above his shoulders he was confused and felt ashamed that he could not help his wife save his family and their goats, a main source of income in this area,’ said SRT member Ed Owen (UK).
‘Their home was destroyed but they are all alive and well, which he is thankful for. We helped him clear some land and pitched a ShelterBox tent for his family, bringing them shelter, comfort and dignity as they rebuild their home.
‘Few men in his position would have maintained his composure. It was a pleasure to help him.’
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