Hope Amid the Waters: Stories from Mahottari

It was supposed to be an ordinary Saturday night in the Mahottari District. Families were winding down, children were drifting to sleep, and the rhythm of rain on rooftops was a familiar comfort. But for Shabnam, Jasodha and Sabita, the mothers’ comfort turned into terror. The silence was shattered by the sound of a disaster. Within hours, the homes they had built over a lifetime were devastated, leaving three mothers in a difficult situation.

For Shabnam, that night turned into terror. The sound of rushing water grew louder until it roared like a beast breaking free. Within minutes, floodwater burst into her home, climbing above her knees, the walls trembling as if they might collapse at any moment. Her three daughters and a son clung to her. While her husband and her brother-in-law were trying to steady the shaking walls. With her mother-in-law also inside the house.

“We watched the walls of our house start shaking. We were terrified the roof would come crashing down on us", Shabnam recalls.

With no time to pack and nowhere to go, the family of eight made a desperate choice to move into a tiny goat shed, the only dry place they could find. They managed to grab a bag of rice, gas stove and a cylinder before watching their house collapse into the flood. Everything was lost under the water. For four days, the family stayed in a goat shed, surrounded by floods, exhausted and hungry.  The arrival of World Vision International (WVI) Nepal as an early responder has provided a glimmer of hope. WVI Nepal has provided shelter kits and food items and the shed that once felt like a small space has been transformed into a temporary home. 

In another corner of Mahottari, Jasodha faced her own nightmare. As rain poured relentlessly, the sound of roof tiles shattering on the floor warned her that their house was no longer safe. Because her husband was ill, they decided to stay inside their house that night. But in the morning, the flood forced its way inside. Around 10 am, Jasodha, along with her husband and children, fled into the open field. The moment they reached an open field, they watched their entire house crumbling into the water.  

“We couldn’t save anything. Everything we owned was gone within seconds in front of our eyes," Jasodha says. 

Jasodha and her family sheltered at her maternal home, with nowhere else to go. With their house destroyed, they must begin again with almost nothing. In the midst of despair, they found some relief through support from WVI Nepal, receiving essential food items, a tent, mosquito nets, and other supplies to survive.

For Sabita, the flood was expected. As she knew her house was in a danger zone, nothing could prepare her for the reality of the surge. When the rain began, she acted quickly; along with her children, she moved to a neighbour's house as well as shifting her belongings to a neighbour's house before the arrival of the flood. With her husband working away in the hotel field, Sabita was the sole protector of her children Archana (4), Ranjana (2) and a month-old son Aryan. 

“My children were shivering and crying in fear. Watching their little faces filled with terror broke my heart, and all I could think of was how to keep them safe," Sabita shares.

Fortunately, the flood did not destroy her house, though the powerful waters left gaping holes on the walls. While the structure itself still stands, the damage is visible. But sadly, the flood completely destroyed her goat shed. Like others, Sabita also received essential survival items from WVI Nepal, including a tent, food supplies and mosquito net, which have provided much-needed relief in the aftermath. 

Through the Nepal Flood Response Project 2025, World Vision International Nepal, in close coordination with local governments and implementing partners, provided timely life-saving assistance to flood-affected communities in Mahottari, Rautahat, and Sarlahi districts. The response supported 4,099 people, including 1,900 children, through the distribution of food packages, shelter non-food items, kitchen kits, and hygiene kits, helping families meet their immediate needs and protect their dignity during the crisis. In addition, three local FM radio stations were mobilised to share critical messages on hygiene, health, and disease prevention. Implemented with the support of local partners including BWSN, RRPK, DSWCN, IRDS, and RDC Nepal, the response prioritised the most vulnerable households, including children and people with disabilities, ensuring that affected families could begin to recover and rebuild their lives with safety, dignity, and hope.

Text by Aabhash Shrestha (EESD Trainee - WVI Nepal)