Three weeks after the passage of Cyclone Chido, Northerner Florine Dupuis decided to return to Mayotte to receive the hundreds of kilos of donations collected by her home town, Genech. Clothing, foodstuffs, powdered milk… Basic equipment that the island is still sorely lacking.
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Food, medicine, childcare equipment… A continuous flow of essential goods have flooded the town hall of Genech, a small town near Lille, since its call for donations for Mayotte on December 16. Three weeks later, in the municipal hall, agents and elected officials are busy sorting and closing the hundreds of boxes collected in the room. All must be transported to the island, ravaged by Cyclone Chido on December 15, 2024, in the coming days.
At the origin of this mobilization in Pévèle: Florine Dupuis, child of the country who left to live there with her partner and her baby a few weeks old, a few years ago. But in Mayotte, this family from the North saw its village devastated by the cyclone… Touched, her sister and the mayor of the town then did everything they could to help this piece of France, nestled on the other side of the world.
Florine looks back on the grim days that followed the passage of the cyclone and recounts her surprise to discover the solidarity implemented for her family and for her adopted island.
Florine Dupuis : I was informed after leaving the island. We stayed in Mayotte for a week after the cyclone and we didn't have much of a network, so we weren't informed of anything. As soon as we had one, it was to inform our families how we were doing, we prepared our messages in advance and we asked that they call the numbers we could not call. Because either it was using up our phone battery or it wasn't working. So, we stuck to that and were not kept informed of the procedures. It was my sister who set everything up and everything was explained to us once we arrived in Reunion.
► ALSO READ : Enedis agents will spend Christmas in Mayotte to help restore power after the passage of Cyclone Chido
F.P. : We had no water, no electricity, with constant humid heat. At night, it was 35 degrees in the house, and again, we were lucky to have a roof! Our accommodation took on water, but we were able to find another one which had not been affected by the cyclone. Many have nothing left so I don't dare imagine the necessities.
The stores were closed because they had been looted or they opened but didn't take the card, so without cash we couldn't afford to buy basic necessities.
Florine Dupuis, originally from Genech
F.P. : Very quickly things were put in place in Mayotte, with people who could organize collections or buy powdered milk themselves and redistribute it for families with babies. We couldn't do that because we were caught up in our own efforts: finding new accommodation, sheltering our baby… But many people are still in need. Already without the cyclone, many people were, so after Chido the needs increased.
F.P. : It warms my heart to see this and I thank the mayor and my sister very much for putting everything in place. I also think that it is a gesture that was not even discussed, it was based on a common logic. When they saw the cyclone, they immediately said to themselves that it was normal to create this collection. It's nice to see that people are still human, that they think about the needs of others, that despite all the comfort that we can find here in the mainland, 8,000 km away, there are people who are still in need.
► ALSO READ : Cyclone Chido in Mayotte. The Comorian community between concern and solidarity: “we are no longer sleepy, we are no longer hungry, we only think about them”
F.P. : Quite a few villages have water and electricity back, that's great. Many people have not yet been able to repair their roof because there is a shortage of materials, it will take a long time for them to receive new sheets. Many villages remain without electricity because the cables are cut. Electricity of Mayotte (EDM) is getting there little by little, but cannot solve everything at once.
Electricity is not just light or a fridge, it is also air conditioning and fans. As I said, we really suffered from the heat, we couldn't sleep at night for lack of air.
F.P. : We went back to Genech for a bit to see family first. The priority was to rest, above all, physically and psychologically. We're still a little in shock so it's good to settle down and take a step back, otherwise we wouldn't be able to hold on. But we have planned our return. Our apartment is there, our jobs are there. I was in discussion with my sister, I will be on site, in Mayotte, to receive the container and manage the distribution without problem.
With Hélène Tonneillier
