The Story of Fatima Musa
Having lost her loved ones in the devastating flash floods in Mokwa, Fatima fights to keep her husband's dreams alive.
Sitting in a quiet corner, Fatima stares off into the distance, seemingly unaffected by the heat and cries of children and chatter from people moving about the medical tent. With her two children, Hajara (5 years) and Aisha (15 months), playing by her side, Fatima sits, slowly consumed by despair since losing her husband and son to the flash flood that swept through their community a few days ago.
She recounts, in a hoarse, tear-filled voice, how her husband, Mallam Musa, saved lives on the day of the flood.
We heard screams, and he went outside to see what was happening. He ran back and said they were people being swept away in the gushing waters. I immediately went outside with the girls while he went to alert the family and call his brothers. He got them all out, only to realize our son, Walid (4), was still in the room sleeping. His brother told him the house was swept away, but he still braved the flood fury and went back for Walid. I handed off the children to the people around me and kept waiting to see if they would come back.
A brutal mix of excessive rainfall and geographical vulnerabilities of such communities led to one of the worst disasters in Mokwa LGA of Niger State. A flash flood swept away many communities within a matter of hours.
UNICEF, among other partners coordinated by the government, swiftly deployed a team to provide emergency relief services. According to the State emergency services, hundreds have died, many more are missing, and thousands have been displaced. The real tragedy is the disproportionate number of children who were impacted by the flood.
Fatima, who was later reunited with her daughters, was provided health care and psychosocial support services at the UNICEF facility. Fatima now lives in a single room with her paternal grandmother. She recalls how passionately their father wanted to see his children educated and vows that she must now do her best to honour his wishes.
