Bandana Bakti Is Finding Her Way Back After the Floods

Before the floods, Bandana’s days in Gohain Bari, near the Dikhow River, ran on a steady rhythm. Her husband Raja left for his work as a mason, earning ₹6,000–₹7,000 a month. Bandana managed the house, and the family’s poultry and livestock helped stretch that income. Pallabi, 19, and nine-year-old Sarban filled the home around her. Life was modest, but it was theirs.

Then the water began to rise, and Raja was away.

By around 9 pm, the floodwaters had surrounded the house. There was no way to reach a doctor, and nothing to do but hold on and wait. “I was all alone with my children while my husband was away, but somehow we managed to save them,” Bandana says.

The Disaster Response Team reached them in the end. The family spent the next 15 days in a school shelter.

When they finally went home, the house was still standing, but it no longer felt like theirs. Their beds, chairs, television and fan were ruined. Their 28 chickens, the goat and the cow were gone. Those animals had quietly carried the household through lean months, and Bandana now has to find a way to replace them.

Food, hygiene kits and utensils from SEEDS and other organisations got the family through the first weeks. The harder part is what comes after. Work for masons has become scarce since the floods, so Raja brings home less than before, and there is little left over for repairs. Sarban is back in school, but the damaged sanitation facilities at home are a constant worry.

What Bandana wants is simple. She wants a home where her children feel safe again, a roof and walls she doesn’t have to worry about, and steady work for Raja. She wants Pallabi and Sarban to look toward the future without the flood hanging over them.

Help Bandana’s family rebuild
Bandana has already done the hardest part: she kept her children safe. Your support can help her family repair their home, set up safe water and sanitation, and replace the animals they depended on, so that rebuilding doesn’t rest on Raja’s uncertain work alone.

DONATE NOW
Your contribution will support SEEDS’ flood response and recovery efforts for affected families based on assessed needs.

Indicative Recovery Requirement

Bandana’s family needs an estimated ₹1,60,000 to support their recovery. This includes ₹70,000 for house repairs, ₹30,000 to replace lost livestock, ₹20,000 for household utensils and essential items and ₹40,000 for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support.

Note: Recovery requirements and costs are indicative and subject to field and technical verification. Support will be prioritised according to assessed