When flooding destroyed more than 1,800 homes in 2022, families who had already been displaced by conflict found themselves underwater — literally and figuratively. Crops were ruined. Livestock drowned. The small businesses that families had built from nothing were washed away. For the children who lived there, this meant more than hunger. It meant the loss of routine, of safety, of the small moments that make childhood feel normal. Many had already survived multiple crises. Each time, they had rebuilt. Each time, they had lost again.
"I remember watching the water rise and feeling like we had nothing left," said one father, whose six children had grown up in displacement. "Nobody talked about tomorrow anymore. It felt like we were just waiting to be washed away again."
When Karuna field team arrived in the region in early 2023, the priority was not immediately large-scale solutions — though those were needed. It was small, consistent support. Families who had been disappointed by short-lived aid efforts in the past were understandably skeptical. The first weeks were spent simply sitting with families — understanding what they believed they needed to take the first steps toward recovery, rather than arriving with predetermined solutions.
That listening shaped everything that followed. Rather than focusing on large infrastructure projects, the community proposed something simpler and more immediate: small grants to help families restart the businesses they had lost. It would not erase the pain of the past. But it would give families a reason to hope again.
Karuna provided small cash grants to help families purchase seeds, tools, and supplies to restart their small businesses — from vegetable stalls to fishing nets to small shops. For a community that had been completely devastated by flooding, this was not a minor addition. It was, for many families, the first time they had felt empowered to rebuild their own lives. The first few families were hesitant. Trust takes time to rebuild. By the second month, more than 100 families had received support and were beginning to rebuild.
One of the community members, Nyakuoth, had lost her small vegetable stall in the flooding. She described the first weeks of recovery as "relearning how to stand and sell in the same hour." Several families needed time before they could trust that help would last. Others started immediately, unwilling to waste the opportunity they had been given.
By the fourth month, more than 200 families had received support and were beginning to rebuild their lives. The market, which had been empty for months, slowly came back to life. The community, with Kitshed's continued support, began discussing how to expand the program to reach even more families.
I remember watching the water rise and feeling like we had lost everything. Now I sell vegetables at the market again, and I don't have to wonder if my children will eat tomorrow.
