About one month ago, terrible floods left millions without homes and more than a thousand people died. (Read more here). Since that time, ServeNow has been responding via medical clinics that have helped over 1,000 people. A few of touching stories have emerged that are shared below, along with an update on the situation and need for winter coverings going forward.
The state of Bihar is experiencing one of its worst floods ever. In some estimation nearly 10 million people are affected and almost 1,400 died in the past 2 months. In hundreds of the villages of Bihar, life has come to a standstill due to the flood and water logging and in some places after the water levels have come down there is a fear of an epidemic breakout as they are without clean drinking water, shortage of sanitation and even basic things like enough food.
Rev. Kiran shared, “It was disheartening to see families living without a roof over their heads as everything they had, including their house, livestock and belongings, had been swept away. People have been living in temporary sheds covered by polythene sheets. They have little to eat and all their clothes are mud washed. ServeNow’s medical clinic was the ray of hope that the people here needed very much.”
Responding to urgent appeals from pastors and churches in Bihar during the last couple of weeks, ServeNow conducted 6 medical clinics in the worst affected regions. Nearly 1,000 people from all communities in the worst flood hit areas in the state of Bihar have received free medical treatment and medicine through these medical clinics conducted by ServeNow’s team of local staff and volunteers, doctors and ambassadors.
For the patients, these clinics were a blessing as they had lost all hope and through that they are all left to rot in the dying stagnant water around them. It was also a great joy to serve these people and actually share the love of Christ with them, for many this was the first time they experienced interaction with Christian churches!
For example, the two older men in the picture above, were both standing outside ServeNow’s medical camp venue in the courtyard of a small church in Simalbari, as patients were being treated. A couple of ServeNow volunteers went up to them and invited them over to receive treatment with their medicine. They said, “We were hesitant to enter the camp as we thought it was only for Christians, but we now know that it was for the people from all communities and religions. We are very grateful to ServeNow for providing us with medicine and medical attention. They were a Godsend. Our health has been deteriorating due to the diseases spread through stagnant water and also the unavailability of food, supplies and medicine.”
In another of the worst flood hit districts of Bihar, ServeNow conducted a medical clinic to cater to over 150 elderly and children who had been totally cut off from the society with all forms of communication down, even roads. Sujeet is an old man who walked quite a distance to reach the medical clinic, when he heard of a free clinic. He had been sick for 15 days and had not been able to get himself checked. “I had been unable to go to the doctor because nobody in my family was willing to take me to town. Every one was busy preparing tents to live in and trying to save whatever they could from the floods. ServeNow’s camp was a huge blessing to me. I do not know when I will be able to visit the doctor again but it’s a relief that I do not have to worry about my health, thanks to ServeNow.”
Another woman, pictured above, belongs to a joint family of 15. She is the eldest daughter-in-law of the family of which 7 are children. She had brought with her all women and children of her family when she heard about ServeNow’s free medical clinic. She shares, “We had been worried, especially about the children. We, as adults, had been holding on so far but were scared that our children would not be that strong. Some were already showing signs of weakness and other illnesses. We had been praying to all our gods but it seems your God heard our prayers and sent you to this village. We are very thankful to ServeNow for taking this life-saving initiative. We hope that you visit us again in the future as we do not know what it holds in store. It may take months for us to return to our normal lives, even which may not be the same.”
Kishore, was another of the villagers who attended the ServeNow medical camp in another village devastated by the recent floods. He and his family have very little left, even to eat. “I wasn’t feeling well for quite sometime now and my child had been sick for more than a week now. I could not take him to the doctor as I had neither the money nor the strength required. The flood has taken away even the little we used to have. I am worried what the future has in store for families like mine who lost everything- even clothes. I am very thankful to ServeNow for providing me with the medicine and proper treatment for free. I hope that God will bless you for helping a poor man like me.”
While it was good to provide medical relief to the people in need however we have bigger task ahead of us. As we were treating the patients, we found that many people in these areas have become vulnerable to various diseases especially water borne diseases are at high risk! We tried to provide medicine and hygiene guidance and set up follow up by local pastoral leaders and Christian social workers. One of the greatest needs will be to provide them blankets to save them from the soon approaching winter days. We have seen that people have lost everything and right now they are living in makeshift tents and broken huts but that will be a death trap for them in winter. For now we could arrange a couple hundreds of blankets and we need in much bigger quantity to provide for thousands of people not only in flood affected areas but homeless people living on the streets, rag pikers and children living in the slums and old people in remote villages.
***To help serve as many people as possible this winter, please click here: Winter Coverings.
