+++By Abou Ndiaye+++
Yaféra (Bakel), January 3 (APS) – The inhabitants of Yaféra, a village in the Bakel department, strongly impacted by the overflowing of the Senegal River in September and October, are trying to meet the challenge of rebuilding houses and schools. to return to a normal life.
Located in the commune of Ballou, between the villages of Golmy and Aroundou, Yaféra is 35 kilometers from the departmental capital of Bakel.
After crossing the village of Bema, 14 km from Bakel, a laterite track leads to Yaféra via Koughany and Golmy.
Populated by 90% Soninkés, the town is nestled in the east, on the bank of the Senegal River. With more than 2,200 inhabitants, Yaféra became infamous when the Senegal River overflowed, which impacted all concessions.
Two months after this painful situation, life returns to normal. The streets, houses and schools which had become impassable are now free of water.
But the people of the district of Moudéry still have painful memories of this episode that they experienced for the first time.
“People were scared, they were upset. Many of them had abandoned their homes, because it was no longer safe to stay in a building invaded by water,” remembers Lassana Timéra, administrator of “Yaféra Tv”.
The enthusiasm of a return to normal despite the damage
Found in his workplace, Lassana Timéra still remains saddened by the invasion of his native village by water, causing a total shutdown of income-generating activities.
“The village was at a standstill. The most worrying thing is that there was no longer any telephone network. nor electricity. No one could work to have enough to provide for daily meals,” according to Timéra.
Even if the streets have become passable again, in the houses, the scars of the fury of the waters are still visible.
This is the case at the Franco-Arab school located in the Modinkany district where water invaded all the classrooms and damaged tables, benches and teaching materials.
On the terrace of the establishment, Arabic and French books and other materials are exposed to the sun.
“We started classes on October 3. On Friday October 11, the water began to invade the village and on Saturday, we were at an impasse,” emphasizes Dramane Timéra, native of Yaféra and teacher in this school.
“We stopped classes on October 13. When the water invaded the school to everyone’s surprise, all the equipment was stored in the cupboards and classrooms and we hurriedly came to recover what we could,” adds Mr. Timéra.
The school, which has more than 200 students, has a lot of materials.
“The director made an expression of needs at the Bakel inspection, we received some school supplies but no tables and benches. In some rooms, the students sit in threes,” he says.
Along the banks of the river, market garden areas are being set up again after the river has returned to its normal course. Canoes which were used as transport in the village are parked on the bank at the start of the morning.
Sitting on his canoe, paddle in hand, Samané Doucouré returns from a crossing in Mauritania. After stopping work for a while, he is happy to find his livelihood again.
“I have nothing other than this job; ensure the crossing between Yaféra and Diogoutouro (Mauritania). With the floods, work came to a standstill. Our canoes were used to transport people. It was difficult for us,” he says desolately, pointing out that his two rooms and toilets built of mud could not withstand the fury of the waters.
A concern, rebuilding the buildings
In the village, several mud houses fell. Those that stand up are ripped open and abandoned by their owners.
Sitting on a chair, layering clothes to protect himself from the morning coolness, Khalilou Keïta contemplates with great dismay the fate of their three buildings swept away by the waters.
“All our buildings are on the ground. The family is at the rehousing site. I stayed to watch the livestock because we cannot keep the animals at the site and the remaining materials,” emphasizes Keita, who has set up a straw hut in the house abandoned by his family.
“We thank the State for the food support, it gave us a lot of relief during difficult times. Currently, it is the reconstruction of our houses that concerns us,” he said.
Boubou Baby, a father, is also concerned about the reconstruction work. According to this octogenarian, back in his house, after having been relocated to a school, the situation is still difficult.
“This is what’s left of my house. I lost two buildings. One had six bedrooms and the other three bedrooms, they were swept away by the waters,” confides Mr. Baby who remembers the floods in 1955 in Yaféra.
“We couldn’t still stay at school but the situation is still difficult. We do not have the means to rebuild our homes. I have no emigrant parents to help me, my children are in the village and have not worked for some time,” he says.
This desire to rebuild homes and resume their daily lives also motivates the victims found in a rehousing site near the village borehole.
Around fifty-two people from three different families (Traoré, Baby, Keïta) have occupied the site since the start of the rising waters.
“The State has really supported us with food since we have been here. There is also the support of goodwill. But currently, we want to rebuild our homes and return there. We do not have the means to get there, we are asking for support from the State at this level too,” argues Lassana Keïta, who occupies a tent.
For this baker who lost his workplace in the floods, life is far from easy in a rehousing site where he always has to wait for the State and goodwill.
“We have nothing left, no more work. We only feed ourselves thanks to the support of the State and goodwill. Otherwise, the situation was going to be harder,” regrets Lassana Keïta, father.
“With this coolness, under the tents, we have difficulty. It’s cold right now, we don’t have any blankets or heavy clothes to protect ourselves from the cold. We want help to rebuild our homes and resume our daily lives,” he pleads.
The victims would like to be supported in the reconstruction of their homes.
“These are mud houses and most families have no means. I always wanted to draw the attention of the authorities to this post-flood period. This is a very hard time for the victims, particularly for the reconstruction of their homes,” says Cheikhna Camara, mayor of the commune of Ballou.
During a telephone interview, Mr. Camara also pleaded for more support. “We would like the victims to really benefit from this housing construction project for poor families,” said Cheikhna Camara.
AND/ABD/ASB/SKS/SBS/OID
