Cyclone Boris hit Galati County with devastating force, causing massive floods that left behind a real disaster. Raging waters destroyed homes, roads, and land, leaving hundreds of people homeless. For many of them, their lives changed radically in an instant, losing everything they had built up over the years.
Ioana* and Viorica* are just two of the many victims of Cyclone Boris, which mercilessly hit Galati County, causing devastating floods. Ioana tells us how, after coming from the night shift, she found her house underwater: "I stayed under a bridge for a few hours because I couldn't cross. When I got home, the fences were down, and water was everywhere in the house. No room was left untouched. It took everything from me: furniture, refrigerators, clothes, everything I had." The impact was indescribable, leaving Ioana without the goods she depended on daily.
Viorica also had a terrifying experience, being caught, together with her husband, by water in her own house: "The rain with lightning and thunder scared me terribly, and the water penetrated the whole house. The attic of the house was the only place we could shelter, but we had no ladder or other means of climbing. In desperation, we improvised a "ladder" from a wall in the bedroom and, with the help of my husband, we managed to save ourselves. We stayed there all night and, in the morning, we found the yard under 2 meters of water, with the animals and birds dead. It is very difficult for us but, with God's will and with the help of ADRA and those around us, we hope to get over it".
In the midst of this chaos, ADRA Romania came to the aid of those affected, offering humanitarian aid and morale support. The damage is immense, but solidarity and community involvement empower people to look towards a better future, and their stories are testimonies of suffering, but also of the courage to start over.
"Going to the field on many occasions and talking to people affected by the floods, I realized that, for many of them, the deep pain comes not only from the material losses, but also from the feeling of helplessness that weighs on them, especially since they have already faced such problems, but with a smaller magnitude,” said Alina Bordas-Mohorea, ADRA Romania psychologist.
“It's overwhelming to see your home, your life's work, destroyed over and over again and not knowing how to rebuild your life. During the ADRA interventions, we tried to offer them both material support and psychological first aid, listening to their stories and encouraging them to express their emotions, validating their suffering,” continued Bordas-Mohorea.
“At the same time, we were amazed and deeply impressed by the kindness of the people – volunteers, donors, and supporters – who jumped in to help either through physical labor, products, or financial donations. This is a lesson in empathy and altruism that inspires us, and that we need further, as we enter the phase of supporting housing recovery. Their solidarity and generosity show us that, although the suffering is great, there is also a light given by the community that unites in the face of trouble," concluded Bordas-Mohorea.
Through the "Hope above the waters" project, ADRA Romania aims to improve housing space, in partnership with local town halls, for hard-pressed families. The project supports flood victims by building or rebuilding affected houses.
About ADRA Romania
Since 1990, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Romania - ADRA Romania - has been particularly involved in development projects that benefit the entire population. Conducting itself in the projects undertaken according to the motto "Justice. Compassion. Love.", ADRA Romania brings joy and hope to the lives of the beneficiaries by promoting a better future, values, and human dignity.
As an accredited social service provider, ADRA Romania is part of the ADRA International network, the global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, one of the most widespread non-governmental organizations in the world. ADRA International is active in 118 countries and based on the philosophy that combines compassion with a practical spirit, reaching out to people in need, without racial, ethnic, political or religious distinctions, with the aim of serving humanity so that all may live together as God intended.*Pseudonyms used for security reasonsTo read the original article, please go here.
