“The construction of the drainage has given relief to the communities,” mentions Mohamed Barrie, a primary school teacher and BRAC Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme (EPRP) volunteer.
The residents of Portee and Rokupa Wharf are no strangers to the devastating effects of the flash floods; it has been a perennial problem of these coastal fishing communities which are home to hundreds of fishermen and their families. Each year during the rainy season, the people in these communities face immense difficulty in controlling these floods.
“The floods have been very harsh with our communities. Whenever this season comes our lives will change for the worse,” he states. Barrie also shares that the women and children suffer the most during this period as water enters the home and destroys their trading items. Barrie explained that in some instances infants would drift away in flood water until any adult would see and rescue them.
But with BRAC Sierra Leone’s intervention through its Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme, the much dreaded floods will soon be a thing of the past. With funds from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, BRAC has supported the mitigation of floods in these communities with the construction of drainage systems that carry water from heavy downpour of rains to empty into the sea.
“We are thankful for BRAC Sierra Leone’s intervention; we have been provided with equipment such as wheelbarrows, shovels, and a rain gauge which informs us if a downpour of rain will result in a flood,” said Barrie.
According to Barrie, the heavy rains that didn’t result in a flood has signaled hope that the floods can be conquered.
