Mother's Day: The unsung heroines amid raging floods

From a distance, it is easy to tell that she does not have a definite answer to her children and is fraught with pain and agony. But still, she gives it her best effort and showers them with praise as she tells them they will be home soon.

"We will be going back very soon," she says before handing the children a cup of porridge for them to share.

She is among more than 500 women who have been forced to stay strong for their families after destructive floods swept Kaswindi village in Nyando and several other villages, condemning them to a life in crowded rescue camps.

And as the world marks this year's Mother's Day today, the floods crisis that has left some families broken after losing loved ones and all their material possessions has unearthed the resiliency of a mother's strong love.

It is a love that overcomes all seasons and glues together a family even at their lowest and with nothing to their name save for their clothes after losing everything.

A spot check by The Standard across several rescue camps across the country elaborates the silent heroines who are sending smiles and comfort to their families at a time when most families have hit rock bottoms.

Women wade through flood waters in Bundalangi after fetching firewood. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

For others, the struggle to protect their young girls from sexual predators makes life at the camp even more challenging.

With almost their entire property swept away by floods, the women are exploring ways to get out of the deep hole the environmental crisis has plunged their families into.

The heroic tales of how some of them managed to rescue their young children from the fangs of floods in the darkness of the night is baffling and sound like a script from a Hollywood set.

For Jane Atieno, another mother, she was displaced by a backflow of the lake that struck at 2 am on a Tuesday.

"It was on a Monday night. We went to bed as usual and we were not worried because there was no rain. At around 2am, I heard frogs croaking everywhere only to learn that water had started sipping into my house," she says.

She hurriedly woke up her two children and carried them to the camp even, while relying on a small torch to trace her way to the school. Her neighbors also mobilised to help other families to escape the floods.

Similarly, in the Western region, several mothers are the shining light of their families as they struggle to make ends meet and see off a day successfully.

Amid Budalang'i's floods landscape, Hellen Sibagaya navigates the tumultuous waters with unwavering determination.

Once a vendor at the now-submerged Mau Mau market, she has adapted to the challenges brought by the rising waters, moving to higher grounds and finding solace at the Namabusi IDP camp.

"When the floods hit some weeks ago, I knew I had to keep moving to keep my family and business safe," Sibagaya says, her voice tinged with determination.

"It hurts that my family lost its home and our crops on the farm were soaked in water, but we haven't lost hope."

A woman wades through flood waters in Garissa town as heavy rains continue to cause havoc across the country. [AFP]

"We were told to vacate our homes to safer grounds after Chania river burst its banks, and water flooded our homes. However, life is unbearable here, the sanitation is so poor, we are afraid we might contract some waterborne diseases," she said.

The mother of two said her nine-month-old son had already developed rashes on his body as a result of poor bedding while her five-year-old son is yet to settle.

Njoki noted that she had a business before the floods where she hawked cooked food within the shops and construction sites to earn her daily bread.

With schools set to open on Monday, May 13, 2024, Njoki and many others camping at the school are wondering how they will be accommodated, while schools are in session.

"The head teacher said that there is an empty class that we can shelter but I prefer to return home and nurse my children from there, this will be too much to bear," she said.

A spot check within the school compound, where they are sheltered, revealed that the classrooms were dirty.

The primary school holds 21 adults and 23 children including young children.

At Githiru primary school, just a few kilometers away, some 22 families have sought shelter for one week now. The primary school has provided temporary shelter for 42 children and 31 adults.

[Report by Harold Odhiambo, Clinton Ambujo, Michael Mute, Purity Mwangi, and Robert Amalemba]