by Suzan Eriksson | Feb 5, 2021
‘Having experienced the tail end of Cyclone Eloise here in Eswatini, I have even more compassion for the communities we worked with in Mozambique. Getting knocked down again even though they were still finding their feet after Idai. In the space of 24 hours, the river by our house turned from a 3m wide lazy river to a 200m wide raging river delta. The force of the water was tangible and the landscape became almost unrecognisable. As the water levels rose, so did my anxiety and concern for the safety of my community. After an emergency call, we rushed to help our neighbours evacuate their flooded house. In the rush, I realised that I had forgotten my mask and could have done even more harm than good. Fortunately another neighbour had spare masks and we were able to pull together in the chaos. Floating a fridge out of a submerged house is a very surreal and disorientating experience, but especially so if it is your fridge and your house. It was clear that the family were overwhelmed and in shock, having also recently lost an elderly family member to COVID-19. The word relentless comes to mind. In these extraordinary times, we need moments to catch our breath. That’s why laughter is so powerful. It helps us to breathe again and find a moment of respite from the storm’
Warm wishes,
Annabel
Creative Lead, Director, Artist and Facilitator.