“We Had Nothing But the Clothes on Our Backs” – A Family’s Story from Flood-Hit Ajnala

My name is Gurpreet Kaur, and I never imagined I’d be sharing something like this.

On the night the floodwaters rose, we were asleep. It had been raining for days, but we didn’t think it would come to this. Around 3 a.m., I woke up to water rushing into our home—first ankle deep, then knee high within minutes. We grabbed our children and ran. We didn’t have time to pack anything. We lost everything in that moment—our clothes, food, documents, even the little savings we had hidden in a tin box under the bed.

We spent the next two nights under a plastic sheet on higher ground, cold, wet, and terrified. My children were crying from hunger and fear. The water had taken not just our home, but also our fields—our only source of income. My husband is a farmer. Now the crops are gone, and so is the hope of earning anything this season.

We are just one family. There are hundreds like us in Ajnala—families who have lost their homes, elders who have no access to medicine, children who are too young to understand why their world has turned upside down.

Relief has been slow to reach us. The need is greater than what local resources can handle. That’s why I’m sharing our story—not for sympathy, but with hope. Hope that there are kind-hearted people out there who will hear us, see us, and help us get back on our feet.

With your support, we can:

• Get food to families who haven't eaten properly in days

• Provide clean drinking water and basic medicines

• Help rebuild homes that have been completely washed away

• Support farmers and daily wage workers who have lost their livelihoods

Please, if you’re reading this, consider donating or sharing this page. Your help can bring light into some of the darkest days we’ve ever seen.

From my family and the families of Ajnala—thank you for caring.