In Vaulx-en-Velin, volunteers from the “7 Weeks” association are working to send emergency aid to Mayotte, more than a week after the passage of Cyclone Chido. A way for them to act while some are still without news from their loved ones.
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“Help us, it’s urgent!“The heartfelt cry of Hadidjia Abou, with tears in her eyes, resonates in the premises of the “7 week” association, in Vaulx-en-Velin, of which she is president. Ten days after the disaster, cyclone Chido, which hit Mayotte, the Mahorais community organized itself to collect food and hygiene products.
“Something must be done. People die there! They say we're hungry. We have food, a roof over our heads, but we have to help our brothers, our parents, our families who are there.“, alerts a community representative.
The emergency is mainly linked to the absence of drinking water on site. “The priority is water. Already before the cyclone, there was a water problem in Mayotte. But now there is no drinking water at all“, Hadidjia Abou said.
Many families, especially those with several children, find themselves without a solution. “There should be at least three packs of water per family“, she adds, deploring the lack of resources.
The association's managers identify, count, weigh, and distribute the foodstuffs into boxes. The association has already sent several boxes to the site, by boat, from Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône). But the foodstuffstake two months“to arrive,” a member of the association told us. “Products must arrive on site faster. You need a plane“, the volunteers demand in unison.
“There is a lot of solidarity. We were helped a lot“, recognizes a volunteer. But the means remain insufficient. “Each person donates what they can, whether it's a box or more. Our location is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.“.
The priority is also to know if their loved ones survived. Faced with uncertainty, some try to contact their families or friends via social networks and by posting wanted notices. “My little sister is there. We haven't heard from her directly, but my cousin told me she's doing well.“, says a volunteer, relieved.
Others were not so lucky. “My mother is an elderly lady, sick, diabetic, she has pills to take. She can't move. It has no battery, no electricity. My brother and sister are stuck here“There is no question of losing hope: “We are not going to give up, we will continue to post the photo every day and ask for information“.
