In the wake of the devastating floods that recently swept through Kariega, leaving numerous families in distress, the true spirit of community emerged as a beacon of hope. Neighbours and local organisations have rallied together, offering support and resources to those most affected.
One of the local churches, NG Kerk De Mist, opened its doors to hundreds of people affected by the heavy rain that hit the town over the weekend.
According to a victim of the flood, Ricardo Saaiman, “We are heartbroken. Everything we used to own is damaged and we have nothing to our name now. If it weren’t for the people of this church…
“The people here are helping us a lot by feeding us in the morning, afternoon and at night. We are very grateful for them and the community,” added Saaiman.
The victims of the floods also lost important documents in the floods, like identification cards and children’s birth certificates. Saaiman explained that the one thing that they need as a family is clarification of what will happen moving forward for them.
Another victim of the flood, Annolene du Preez, mentioned how the incident affected their daily routine and overall lives, while they were thankful of their safety.
Du Preez said, “We lost our dignity along with our home. I don’t worry about earthly things, but at the moment I am reliant on someone else to give me a plate of food or something to drink.”
She added that luckily mobile clinics visited the church to run tests on the victims. However, she and her family need bank cards and identification cards.
“My husband is a pensioner, and we cannot go and get his money that could have helped us make ends meet because we lost all our things in the flood. At least had we had that; it would have lessened the burden we are putting on to the church leaders. We didn’t think of grabbing wallets, we only thought of grabbing each other,” Du Preez said.
She also added that they need to contact their insurance company to inform them of what happened and since they cannot pay this month’s fees after losing everything, her concern is her policy lapsing.
“If I get money now, I will see that my family gets food and clothes before paying that policy, but what if something happens to my family now? That is what stresses me out,” she explained.
The Reverend of the church, Ken du Pisanie, said that their main need right now is volunteers.
“The number of people here fluctuates every day but there is a lot that needs to be done. We are at a stage where I believe we need more food again because there is a great need for food parcels.”
Another member of the church, Trunette de Jongh, made mention that they received a lot of support from the government and organisations in Kariega.
“We had so many partners helping. We got assistance from the Democratic Alliance as well as businesses like OK, Afri-Save and Pick n Pay just to name a few,” said De Jongh.
On top of the need for more food, the main necessity is getting people on their feet and back into their homes, De Jongh mentioned. Not only do we have mattresses here, but we need more for the victims at home that need one.
“We have also brought in a team of professionals. A Specialised Trauma counsellor came to see and talk to the individuals,” said Du Pisanie.
“Our main focus now is making sure that these victims find themselves back in their homes as soon as possible.”
The church leaders expressed their gratitude to those that have helped, and still seek assistance in donating clothes and non-perishable items. Donors can bring their items to the church at 19 Uys Street, Central, Kariega.
Fears that a dam wall might burst in Kariega led to the evacuation of a section of the Lapland informal settlement on Sunday night. Nearly 150 people were taken to local churches for shelter.
According to Georgen Miggels, a local councillor, the move was made as a precautionary measure when it appeared that the wall of a dam on a nearby farm could give way with further heavy rain.
Miggels says the decision to evacuate Lapland followed after several authorities met on Sunday evening and expressed concern that the dam wall, which is located higher up, could potentially burst. He says this dam’s wall burst in 1996 and swept away a large part of Lapland.
“The concern is that the wall will not be able to handle more heavy rain like that of Saturday night. Therefore, it was decided to move the people away because more rain is forecast.”
