Life after the flood

Nine months ago, Noy rowed through his village with a glum face. Water from the nearby river swept over the banks and destroyed his family’s home. They had nowhere to go back to.

The night the water came, Noy was sleeping soundly beside his younger sister, older brother and his mother. His father who works in another village was not home.

"I woke up when I felt the water rise where we slept. The children wanted to leave but there was no boat."

“I woke up when I felt the water rise where we slept. The children wanted to leave but there was no boat. I gathered our clothes and found a way to get my children out,” says Noy’s 36-year old mother, Kone.

“One thing I kept in mind was to ensure my children’s safety. It was okay even if I cannot save anything from the house. I have to keep my children safe first,” Kone says.

“We lost everything to the flood. Our clothes were soaking wet, so are our remaining blankets and sleeping mats. It was very cold and we endured sleeping on the floor of our neighbour’s house. We had no food and drinking water. Our toilet was also gone,” Noy sadly recalled.

Kone was worried about the future of her family. Working in other farmers’ fields would not be possible this year. All the rice fields were damaged. She would have to rely on wild vegetable, bamboo shoot, small crabs, shells and little fish that she can gather to sell in the market.

Kone was no longer sure if the family would still be able to afford 12-year-old Noy’s education.

Noy’s older sister has stopped going to school. She also has to earn to help the family. Kone feels guilty about this decision. With remorse she says, “I feel I made the wrong decision for my first child. She wanted to study but I did not allow her. I was the one who blocked her good future.”

Her 15-year-old daughter works in a restaurant in Thailand and has not gone home since she left more than a year ago. She just sends money to support them. “I want my children to finish school, have a good job and be able to care for themselves. I don’t want Noy and his brother to drop out of school like their older sister,” says Kone.

With limited options, and the water covering all opportunities to earn a living, Kone reluctantly admitted the uncertainty of Noy's future.

Nine months later, Noy was beaming as he drew pictures of a house he imagined to build

His family was able to scrape together enough income to continue to support his education after the floods, along with the education of his two siblings. His father's temporary jobs helped the family with their basic needs, their school materials and uniform.

“I am working hard every day because I want my children to be educated and I hope they will have a good future and be able to take care of themselves. I don’t want my children to become like me,” Kone says.

Noy dreams of becoming a soldier someday. “I want to complete my studies, have a good job and earn a decent salary so that I could help my parents build a new house,” says Noy. Since the flood, his family stays in a rented house.

World Vision helped Noy’s family and his village recover. The organisation provided immediate relief to ensure people had food, safe water and basic medicine. Noy’s family, along with nine other families also received water-filters to protect them from diseases from drinking unclean water.

Forty-six rice-farming families were each provided by World Vision and the District Authority with 30 kilograms of rice seeds. Dry crops seeds and seven agricultural spray containers were also given for the community to use.

World Vision is advocating on behalf of families like Noy's, who lost their homes and have no land to farm, for the local government to provide them with land to till.  

For Noy, owning a house would be a dream come true. In the picture he drew, Noy shows a house with two bedrooms, one for him and his older brother and the other for his parents and younger brother.