Better days ahead

"No matter how challenging the circumstances are, you have to fight for your living and I had to do so for my children."

That's what Safoora, 35, said about how she dealt with flooding in Pakistan that damaged her home in Pakistan in 2022.

When the water suddenly began to rise, the widow and mother of four quickly got her family out of the house. With nowhere else to go--the entire village was flooded--they found safety on an elevated pathway. 

"We had to wade through the water," said Safoora, adding "they were such difficult times. We had nothing to protect ourselves with. We stayed that narrow pathway for nights without having anything to cover ourselves with. The water levels kept increasing and wouldn't go down."

With her home and belongings destroyed by the water, Safoora received a cash grant of PKR 25,000 (about $120 CAD) from Oxfam, with support from the Humanitarian Coalition.

"That money was a big support," she said, noting she spent some for medicine and the rest to buy essential items for her children.

She also bought a baby goat as an investment for the future. "My children who had lost everything to floods play with it all the time," she said. "I plan to sell the goat when it grows older. It will give us more revenue to build on."

Safoora was one of many people in Pakistan who received assistance from Oxfam's partner-led emergency response. In addition to giving people cash, Oxfam provided winterization kits, shelters, and dignity and hygiene kits.