HELP SHAMIM REBUILD

WE WERE FORCED TO START AGAIN WITH NOTHING

"My name is Shamim Mai. I am 40 years old."

Across Pakistan, increasingly severe floods are destroying homes and livelihoods. When the waters reached our village, we had never seen anything like it. Our house was swept away, and when we fled to another home, that too was destroyed. We escaped at night on a rescue boat, leaving everything behind.

During the journey, the boat struck something underwater and lost balance. We watched helplessly as our children fell into the floodwaters. We tried to save them, reaching into the water again and again, but we could not hold on. Four of my children drowned before our eyes.

Rescue workers later brought us to the hospital, where we received their bodies. There was no dry land to bury them because everything was flooded. When we finally laid them to rest, the floods returned days later and washed their graves away.

Today we live in a tent. We cook, eat, and sleep inside it. The cold is difficult, but we have no alternative. All our belongings were lost, and we have no resources to rebuild our home. The water sources are contaminated, and we became sick after drinking because there was no other choice.

The floods destroyed hand pumps and washrooms, forcing us to depend on others for basic needs. My husband works caring for livestock, and I work in cotton fields when work is available, but one income cannot support our family. We are displaced, exhausted, and struggling to survive.

If people support us, we will be grateful. We want only the chance to rebuild our home, live safely, and protect the children who remain with us. Without help, we have nowhere else to go.