February 21, 2024

When natural disasters occur, displaced families’ priorities are their safety and ensuring they have enough to eat. Hurricanes, floods, and storms can wash away possessions, savings, and the means for a family to survive. Adding to their struggles, families may also face the overwhelming worry of finding the resources to cover the costs of repairing or rebuilding their homes, and if they were struggling with health issues prior to the disaster, concerns about their ability to continue covering the costs of healthcare can be amplified.

Rataji Marak, 86, and her 90-year-old husband, found themselves with these challenges after flooding caused widespread destruction in the village where they live in North Rongkhang, India. The couple’s granddaughter had been supporting them prior to the flood, but she was only just managing to meet their basic needs.

When the intense rains came, washing away crops and flooding houses, the family of three had no choice but to evacuate their home and live on the roadside. They would spend two weeks out in the elements and depended on food distributions by the government and by World Renew’s local partner, NEICORD. They consumed the food in small quantities to ensure it lasted for as long as possible. When the family returned home, they were heartbroken to find it had been severely damaged, and the roof destroyed.

Through an emergency response project facilitated by World Renew and NEICORD, with support from Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Rataji’s family received cash assistance for their immediate needs. They used the money to purchase rice, vegetables, potatoes, oil, lentils, fish, and more, to address their food needs. They also managed to repair the roof of their house and Rataji was able to continue treatment for her hand that she fractured two years earlier when she fell while working in the field. “The project has been a blessing to us as a family, my husband and I can eat healthy food and live in a safe house which protects us from the rain and cold,” Rataji said with a smile. “I can now move my hand and assist my granddaughter in household work. We are the most fortunate people to have received such support…I am grateful to [NEICORD, World Renew, and Canadian Foodgrains Bank], they gave us hope where we had lost it, and many families in my village are also being blessed by their support.”

To help address the family’s long-term food security, they received seeds through the project, and Rataji’s granddaughter also received training in disaster preparedness. Rataji and her granddaughter planted the seeds and Rataji expressed joy and happiness for seeds. For Rataji the seeds represent hope for the future.

February 25 is Canadian Foodgrains Bank Sunday. Through World Renew’s unique partnership with Foodgrains Bank, your gifts will be matched up to 4X to extend hope to even more families like the Maraks. Give today to support the work of World Renew and Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

Thank you for walking alongside World Renew and Canadian Foodgrains Bank to share God’s love and abundance with families impacted by disaster. Thank you for joining us in answering his call to feed the hungry. Together we can end global hunger!