Wet eyes before the rain, a terrifying moment

It was just like every other day when the clouds gathered, and the sign of rain mirrored the present. Mummy Daniel looked at the sky, then looked at her children and at the shanty house. but she could not hold back her tears.

The family

She has seven children and her husband, making nine members of the family to be safe from the looming flood in the rough hut.

Daddy Daniel just depends on a menial job for survival, and Mummy Daniel takes up a cleaning job in a private school to support the family.

Her monthly income can barely take care of the family, and the stress of managing it can only be imagined. The children are in public school, fair enough, and feeding is manageable, but shelter is the biggest challenge for the family.

The cost of rent and the concerns

Mummy Daniel could not afford the cost of renting an apartment in the Sangotedo area and that is why They go for unbuilt area. The frightening thing about this option is that eviction can take place at any time without compensation, with sometimes short notice. “Risky,” did I hear you say that?

It is cheaper to make a temporary shelter with wood and tarpaulin. Unfortunately, they are not sure how long they will stay there. The landowner might force them to move out of the premises at any time.

What about the money paid? Can they get a refund? Certainly not! The money has gone. That’s the sad reality. This is a recurring situation, and this might even be the reason poverty is so rampant in the country. 

Confronting the bitter experience.

She lamented how they had the experience of the previous place they had rented. Mummy Daniel and her neighbors were given a seven-day ultimatum to vacate the premise barely three months ago.

The family found it hard to eat, let alone afford an apartment in this area. Meanwhile, they did not even prepare for it. Her husband hadn’t had a stable job for a while, and they needed money to pay for just an empty space.

As the day passed and the burden grew heavier, the night became so numb and all that she wanted to see was a place where her family could sleep and wake up. She couldn’t hold back her tears.

What seems to be a relief but…

After days of searching for any available space, they finally got an offer that went for ₦20,000.00 (approximately $29.00) before they could erect any structure, and this was another challenge. How are they going to raise the money to pay for space and the carpenter that would construct the tent.

However, they were somehow lucky to secure a loan to pay for the space. But there was an impending problem.

They hurriedly put up the structure in a place where they didn’t envisage the environmental hazard but got blinded by desperation to avoid eviction.

That is how they made a hut in a flood-prone area, and each time it rains heavily, the revelation of the heartbreaking reality is revealed when they are seen standing on the bed. They neither sleep nor rest, but pray for the rain to stop. 

Hmmm… better to imagine than to experience.

The negative impact on the family

Unfortunately, the conditions have a negative effect on the family; they fall ill every now and then because of the cold and filthy environment. They can’t even make savings with the little income they have when they are moving from place to place. Then how can they save to rent an apartment for  ₦450,000.00 (approximately $695.00)?

I wept when one of her children walked up to my wife and appealed to her to adopt her because does not want go back their house.

When my wife asked her why she wanted to be adopted, she replied, “because it will rain again, and water will fill our house.” I don’t want to stay there again. When she looked into her eyes, she discovered the ‘wet eyes steering at her’. Sadly, the little girl has encountered a bitter experience and she wouldn’t want to go through it again.

Wait a minute. Imagine yourself in this situation. Think about your future happiness. How do you feel? If you look into their eyes, you will see pain and frustration.

Unfortunately, with today’s harsh economic reality, they need your help—the help that will take them out of this predicament. This is a passionate appeal on behalf of this family for assistance to secure a decent apartment.

“I believe the world is one big family, and we need to help each other.”

If this story touches your heart and you want to assist this family, kindly get in touch.

email: Peters@dimacious.com