Janki Thapa Is Finding a Way Forward After the Floods

Janki Thapa’s days once revolved around caring for her family and managing her household. After her husband passed away three years ago, she continued living with her brother-in-law. Her three daughters were married, and her granddaughter would sometimes stay with her while studying. Their home included two brick rooms, a mud room and a brick veranda. Behind it stood another brick house, with land where the family had built a life through daily labour and growing vegetables.

It was a modest life, shaped by hard work and the familiarity of home.

Everything changed after the Assam Flood. As floodwaters rose around Gohain Bari area, Janki woke early, filled water containers, cooked rice and fed everyone. When the water continued to rise, she took her granddaughter to a larger house, hoping they would be safer there.

“I told my granddaughter, ‘Everything is getting submerged. Let’s go to our big house or wait until someone comes to help,’” Janki recalls.

The family tried to move their belongings and gather their animals, including ducks, around twelve hens and a cow, before moving to shelter. But the floodwaters kept rising, cutting off their way out. Janki, her granddaughter and others were stranded on rooftops, where they stayed for five days. When Janki fell ill, she had to move back.

The floods left more than damaged belongings behind. Janki says the family lost their homes and the land on which they had grown vegetables through daily labour. The two bighas of land that had helped sustain them were also lost. With their homes and livelihood gone, the family now faces the challenge of finding stability again.

Today, Janki lives under a plastic tarpaulin shelter with her brother-in-law. The space offers some protection, but it is not a secure home. At times, they have to sleep at other people’s houses, relying on the kindness of others while trying to manage their daily needs.

For Janki, rebuilding means finding a place where the family can live safely and with dignity again. After losing her husband, she had continued to manage life with the family she had around her. Now, with their homes and livelihood disrupted, the path to recovery is more difficult.

A safe, lasting shelter would give Janki and her family a place to begin again. Support for rebuilding and restoring essential household needs could help them move beyond temporary arrangements towards a more secure future.

Help Janki’s Family Rebuild

Janki and her family are living with the consequences of losing their homes and livelihood to the floods. Your support can help SEEDS respond to the recovery needs of flood-affected families, helping them move towards safer shelter and more secure living conditions.

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

Indicative Recovery Requirement

Based on an initial indicative assessment, Janki's recovery requirement could be around ₹2,10,000. Around ₹1,20,000 is indicated for rebuilding a permanent house, durable rebuild. A further ₹30,000 is indicated for replacing the domestic animals lost, based on a typical small mixed holding for the area, to be confirmed through field verification. ₹20,000 is set aside for household utensils and essential items, and ₹40,000 for continued sanitation and drinking water support during the recovery period.