January 19, 2022

10:01

Malu Dacio – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – “At the moment, what I need urgently is a place to live. A house, a room to stay because I’m behind and so far I haven’t got one. I’m not getting help, support or anything from anyone”, the appeal is from housewife Ana Lúcia. The rains that hit the entire capital during the morning of last Monday, 17, took away clothes, furniture and appliances from the housewife and her family.

The Civil Defense condemned the residence, forcing her, her husband, her two children and her granddaughter to sleep in a church last night. The mud-covered clothes that the family washed in front of the condemned house when CENARIUM was on site were all lost.

“I didn’t sleep. It’s very boring, uncomfortable to sleep in a different place. It’s hard to explain, but I was awake all night. Since yesterday I am disoriented. I can’t reflect or think about what happened”, she said.

The housewife denounces that she has not received any kind of support from public agencies. “The civil defense so far hasn’t given me any answers from anything or anyone. They said they were coming to leave some beds, some food, but no one showed up” she lamented.

“We got a place to sleep in the church. We spent the night there and my children scattered at friends’ houses. They helped us with some beds, but we have no stove, no refrigerator, no furniture. We have nothing, nothing. I’m desperate, walking down the street looking for things”, confesses Ana.

Ana lamented the loss of furniture and especially the stove, which according to the family, had only been paid the first installment. One of the housewife’s children has been wearing the same clothes for 24 hours.

The family is going to live with an older daughter

Driver Eliezer Correa said he spent the night with his oldest daughter after the house was also condemned. “I have received mattress, clothes and even the refrigerator but, I need transportation to pick it up. The biggest need today is to have my own place to live”, he said.

“We invested all these years, we bought all the appliances with a lot of difficulty to lose in the short rainy season, and today to live in favor is very sad”, he said.

Sister of the 7-year-old child is inconsolable

The sister of the girl who was sitting on the bed in her room when the ravine collapsed on her during the heavy rain that hit Manaus is inconsolable. “The children are fine. But, unfortunately, the older one is feeling a lot, she cries a lot”, she said.

According to the source, the representatives asked the parents, who are vulnerable, to look for the rent on their own and that it would be ‘returned’ later. “Being that I’ve never seen that. They are a big family, it doesn’t fit in a kitnet. They have animals, 3 children, they received donations from their church members”, she said.

Helping the families

Those interested in helping the families, can make donations via pix. Ana Lúcia’s family receives by pix 92 984826236.

Eliezer’s family receives by pix 32055439200. The contact numbers are (92) 991700319 and (91) 995271783. In the name of Eliezer Correa da Silva.

Anyone who wants to help can make donations to Raika’s family, can make through the Pix 92 984420447, the account is in the name of the child’s father Makartison Quintino Pinto.

Position

In a note, the Civil Defense said that 105 occurrences were registered because of the heavy rains on Monday, 17. The Civil Defense teams and the Municipal Secretariat of Women, Social Assistance and Citizenship – Semasc, continue to assist families who were affected by the natural phenomenon. Semasc informed that the affected families will receive eventual benefits such as food baskets, mattresses and sheets.

The secretariat also informed that families who lost documents are being referred to Semasc’s Identification Sector. The child who died was assisted by the SOS Funeral Service with the delivery of a funerary urn, exemption in the notary fees, transfer and burial. The 37 year old girl, who also passed away, was transferred to the City of Beruri, which will make the removal free of charge.

The families that were left homeless will be included in the Rent Assistance. The deadline is 15 days. This situation is related to the houses that collapsed. The vast majority will receive the benefits, but the housing has no risk of collapse, said the note.