Friday, September 11, 2009

Back from Burkina

10:39 am | Edit Post

Looking at our last blog it's been some time since we last blogged from Ouagadougou written a few days prior to our departure. Since being back in the UK we have travelled over 5000 miles as a family but we have now started to live a less nomadic life as we settled down in our home in Rugby.

Only joking… our house isn't this big


Anyway, since we have been back in this green and pleasant land disaster has struck the capital of Burkina when, on the 1st September, two years worth of rain fell in one day and as a result many people have been made homeless in Ouagadougou and the continent of Africa absorbs yet another overwhelming blow.



I thought it appropriate, therefore, to past on to my blog a letter of appeal written by a colleague working in Ouagadougou with SIM.


It seems that the city of Ouagadougou just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. On September 1, a strong tropical storm system stalled over Ouagadougou. It started to rain about 4:30 in the morning, a nice gentle rain for over an hour. About 6:00, the time we usually get out of bed, the downpour started and continued off and on till about 4:00 in the afternoon. The metrological service registered 97 mm (about 4 inches) of rain between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. The rainfall recorded at 4:00 PM was 263 mm (over 10 inches) for the day. This is the highest one day rainfall in recorded history in Burkina Faso. On August 31, 1914, 246 mm were recorded in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second largest city. The previous highest one-day recorded rainfall for Ouagadougou was 120 mm in 1953. There was likely some variation throughout the city which may account for varied reports. Ouaga has several low areas and water courses so damage has been significant in those areas.


The government estimates that there are about 150,000 people whose homes are no longer habitable- either completely or partially destroyed. About 110,000 of these people have taken shelter in schools and are receiving some emergency aid through government channels. They report only five deaths but many still unaccounted for. If this flood had happened during night time hours it would certainly have resulted in a much greater catastrophe in terms of loss of life.

How can you help?

In response to the needs we have seen and are hearing about, the Ouaga missionary team decided to set up a relief fund.


For now it is initial emergency aid but within a few days we expect we will be looking at helping with housing and other needs, particularly for those in SIM-related churches and their neighbors. Gifts can be made through any SIM office to project Ouaga Flood Relief 93918. We will rely on the local Pastors Committee to determine needs and distribution of funds.

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