The Flood

"The flood water came at around 4 p.m. that day (July 8, 2020). At first, the water level came up to our calves, then it rose to our knees very quickly. Mom and Dad told my younger siblings to stay at the second floor while I helped them move the rice up to safety." said twelve-year-old Xiaoli.

Xiaoli and her family lives in a small village in Wuyuan County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. The six of them - her father, mother, grandmother, younger brother, younger sister and Xiaoli, live in a two-story house. Xiaoli;s father had suffered from cerebral thrombosis previously and is unable to work. Her mother is the sole breadwinner of the family. In addition to farming, she also works in bag-making factory for extra income. Xiaoli and her siblings know that their mother works very hard, and so they take turns to help her every day.

"I was scared. I was standing next to a wall which suddenly caved in because the flood, and I almost slipped and fell off the stairs." Xiaoli's younger sister is still unnerved when she recalls the flood water rushing into their home. Her youngest brother, who was the calmest during the situation, quickly called out to his sister to move over to where he was. Before the house collapse, Xiaoli's parents were rushing to move their belongings. When their father saw that the walls were going to cave in, he grabbed his children and rushed out of the house, their mother was the last to run out. "Mom is fine. Dad was hit on his hands and legs, his arm is bruised and his ankle is swollen. He is having difficulties walking now." Xiaoli said.

"I have never seen a flood like this before. The water level was higher than a man's height. Our house was destroyed and we did not manage to take anything with us. We're wearing the same clothes that we wore when we escape. The walls of the house crushed everything and the flood washed them away. We couldn't do anything. When the water rose to our necks, we just had to get out,” added Xiaoli's mother. 

After the incident, Xiaoli and her family spent the night at a neighbor's house until the water receded the next morning. They then relocated to a temporary shelter. To aid those affected, the local government provided quilts, folding beds and daily necessities, while the people bought food for themselves.

Although she could play with many children in the temporary shelter, Xiaoli hopes she can go home soon. She said: "The best thing we can hope for now is to rebuild our house, so that we have a home to go back to."

To help calm their fears, World Vision gave Xiaoli and her younger siblings child-friendly kits, so that they have toys to play with while staying at the shelter. "My sister and I like the rabbit doll the most, because my brother was born in the Year of the Rabbit." Xiaoli said.

Since June, Wuyuan County was hit by four heavy downpours. This led to floods that caused massive losses in the county. By 11 July, 136,600 people in the county were affected and 64,600 people had to be relocated. More than 20,000 people are in urgent need of living aid. The disaster hit 6096.1 hectares of farmland, leading to an estimated loss of 701.6 hectares of crops. 129 houses were destroyed and 106 houses seriously damaged. The local government acted quickly and began relief and rehabilitation work when the floods started.   (Content collected by Li Yunqing, article written by Liao Haizhen)

▲World Vision staff assessing the situation in Xiaoli's village. 

▲World Vision staff listening to Xiaoli's mother (second from right) share about how the flood has affected her family. 

▲World Vision staff showing the children toys from the child-friendly kits which they can play with while staying at the shelter.  Xiaoli (second from left) also received a child-friendly kit. 

▲The children were excited to find out what was in the child-friendly kit. Xiaoli (first from right) sharing toys with her brother (second from left).