A few weeks ago Hurricane Irene left some of our basements with a gift of 2 inches of water; my basement survived this time, though we received our fair share of mopping from Hurricane Isabelle a few years prior.
I still remember me and my family rolling up our pants and not knowing exactly where to begin. But an hour of cleanup restored our home back to normal.
In Egypt the annual rain can destroy a family’s entire home. Especially if that home is only made of mud bricks and palm leaves.
Bishoy* and his family lived in one of these homes in Upper Egypt, and so did all of his neighbors.
Every time it rained his family would have to leave their home to find shelter. Then they spent days of cleanup and repair. Their personal belongings were always ruined or covered in thick mud after the rain.
We learned about Bishoy’s situation during one of our home visits after he became a part of Not Alone. We immediately contacted his sponsor, and organized a group of volunteers in Bishoy’s village.
We finished the new house just in time. A large rain storm came right after.
Bishoy’s family was safe. In fact, all of their neighbors flooded into their house for protection, too. It was now the driest place in the village.
This orphaned family has a new respect in their village now. Bishoy was proud to tell his volunteer Rep, “Coptic Orphans made me feel safe in my house again. I’m glad we have a place for our neighbors to feel safe from the rain, too.”