Nabeul's flood relief fund
Donation protected
My hometown of Nabeul, Tunisia, was destroyed last weekend by severe flooding. As you may know,
Tunisia is an arid country, and we were totally unprepared for the flash floods which ripped through our town. Many of us lost much of what we had - our cars were carried away, the walls of our houses knocked down, the merchandise in our stores ruined. Four lost much more than that- their lives.
Aside from the personal losses, our town itself was physically devastated. 6 feet of rushing water ripped up the pavement in our streets, and made our unpaved roads into pits of mud. The beach wharf was wiped out, and you can't tell the difference between the street and the sea. Our local school’s desks were broken, and an entire warehouse of books meant for a new library was destroyed by the water. Needless to say, the street signs, power poles, and other infrastructure are gone.
For now, the flood is over. The news says heavy rainfall will continue in the next few days, and we’re all waiting to see what will happen. Some of us have been more proactive than others, literally sealing off their doorways and windows with bricks and mortar in fear of another flood. As for the children, they’re at home, without school to go to and without roads to get them there. It is safe to say we’re starting over again in Nabeul.
In the meantime, some of us “Nwabliya”, as we call ourselves, have organized to fix what we can. We certainly have our work cut out for us. Teams have begun cleaning out trash from the street, removing piled up mud from the schools, trying to salvage what we can from warehouses. Some are passing out clothes, cooking supplies, and even giving money to the families who lost everything. In some way, everyone is trying to recover.
We are asking for help now, because our government cannot. Most people don’t know much about our tiny country, but we’re recovering from a revolution right now, and our nation operates on a shoestring budget. Things have been tough in Tunisia, and this flood is not even the most difficult challenge we face.
If you have ever visited our beautiful beaches, appreciated the history of Carthage or Rome, or dreamed of wandering in the Sahara, please think about the difference that you could make in one of our lives. Even if you can’t donate, sharing our story is a massive help, and it means something huge for all of us.
The money you donate will go directly to feeding/clothing the families in need, to putting desks back in schools, and to repairing the infrastructure of important landmarks in Nabeul (schools, libraries, etc.)
Tunisia is an arid country, and we were totally unprepared for the flash floods which ripped through our town. Many of us lost much of what we had - our cars were carried away, the walls of our houses knocked down, the merchandise in our stores ruined. Four lost much more than that- their lives.
Aside from the personal losses, our town itself was physically devastated. 6 feet of rushing water ripped up the pavement in our streets, and made our unpaved roads into pits of mud. The beach wharf was wiped out, and you can't tell the difference between the street and the sea. Our local school’s desks were broken, and an entire warehouse of books meant for a new library was destroyed by the water. Needless to say, the street signs, power poles, and other infrastructure are gone.
For now, the flood is over. The news says heavy rainfall will continue in the next few days, and we’re all waiting to see what will happen. Some of us have been more proactive than others, literally sealing off their doorways and windows with bricks and mortar in fear of another flood. As for the children, they’re at home, without school to go to and without roads to get them there. It is safe to say we’re starting over again in Nabeul.
In the meantime, some of us “Nwabliya”, as we call ourselves, have organized to fix what we can. We certainly have our work cut out for us. Teams have begun cleaning out trash from the street, removing piled up mud from the schools, trying to salvage what we can from warehouses. Some are passing out clothes, cooking supplies, and even giving money to the families who lost everything. In some way, everyone is trying to recover.
We are asking for help now, because our government cannot. Most people don’t know much about our tiny country, but we’re recovering from a revolution right now, and our nation operates on a shoestring budget. Things have been tough in Tunisia, and this flood is not even the most difficult challenge we face.
If you have ever visited our beautiful beaches, appreciated the history of Carthage or Rome, or dreamed of wandering in the Sahara, please think about the difference that you could make in one of our lives. Even if you can’t donate, sharing our story is a massive help, and it means something huge for all of us.
The money you donate will go directly to feeding/clothing the families in need, to putting desks back in schools, and to repairing the infrastructure of important landmarks in Nabeul (schools, libraries, etc.)
Co-organizers (4)
Ines Said
Organizer
Tampa, FL
Austin Stanbury
Beneficiary
Sabri Sassi
Co-organizer
Noorjahan Jemaa
Co-organizer
Austin Stanbury
Co-organizer