Written by: Sayantani Deb
When the floodwaters rose on July 19, 2026, Deboswari Koya, a resident of upper Assam’s Sivasagar, had already endured profound hardship. She had lost her husband and her livelihood after an accident at a tea garden left her without her left hand. Yet she continued working and raising her young son, determined to keep him in school.
Then the flood swept through her home, leaving Deboswari and her son barely enough time to escape. Their house and belongings were washed away, forcing them to begin again with almost nothing.
For families like Deboswari’s, surviving a disaster is only the first step. Once the waters recede, another struggle begins — finding food, restoring a home, protecting children’s well-being and rebuilding a sense of security.
It is during this difficult transition from crisis to recovery that Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) has extended support to flood-affected communities in Assam.
For Deboswari, the assistance was more than a relief package. Food supplies are helping meet the family’s needs for a month, hygiene supplies can support them for more than two months, while a shelter kit is giving her the means to begin rebuilding her damaged home.
For a mother whose priority is her son’s future, rebuilding the house is inseparable from rebuilding his life.
“After losing so much, this support gives me the courage to start again,” said Deboswari. “Most importantly, it gives me hope that my son can continue his studies despite everything we have been through.”
Safeguarding Childhood
For six-year-old Asurya (name changed), the flood brought a different kind of loss. Living in Bamon Pokhari Tea Garden, he watched his household belongings disappear under the floodwaters, including his school bag, textbooks and play materials. For a young child, the sudden loss of familiar possessions and routines became a profound disruption.
His mother, Rasmita, a homemaker, was determined that the disaster would not take away her son’s childhood.
Every day, she walks with him to a Child Friendly Space established by Bal Raksha Bharat. There, trained facilitators provide children with a safe environment where they can play, participate in creative activities, interact with their peers and gradually regain a sense of routine.
For Rasmita, the centre offers something essential at a time when almost everything around her family has changed: safety.
“We have lost so much because of the flood, but I don’t want my child to lose his happiness and childhood too,” she said.
The Child Friendly Space demonstrates that humanitarian assistance after a disaster cannot be limited to food and shelter. Children also need opportunities to play, connect with others, express themselves and experience a degree of normalcy.
For Asurya, a few hours of play may seem small against the scale of a flood. But the space has become a place where he can begin the journey from fear towards recovery.
Dignity in Disaster
The devastating flood came only weeks after 12-year-old Ruma Kurmi lost her mother following a prolonged illness.
The July 19 flood arrived suddenly, inundating and damaging the family home and destroying clothes, utensils, books and other belongings. With her father struggling physically and emotionally, Ruma found herself taking on greater responsibility for the family.
To keep themselves safe, the family left their damaged home and stayed with a neighbour for several days.
In the midst of this crisis, Ruma learned that Bal Raksha Bharat was distributing hygiene and dignity kits to flood-affected families. She immediately decided that, whatever the circumstances, she would collect the supplies for her family.
“My house is in a quite remote place, so today I walked for more than five kilometres to collect the relief,” said Ruma during the distribution. “I have carefully carried my father’s Aadhaar card and the household card issued during the beneficiary identification process so that we are not left out.”
Ruma received supplies that can easily be overlooked during a disaster response: sanitary napkins and undergarments.
After the flood destroyed much of the family’s clothing and belongings, managing menstruation had become difficult for Ruma and her sisters. The kit therefore meant far more than the items it contained.
“Bal Raksha Bharat has provided exactly the things we needed at this time of crisis. For adolescent girls like us, while living through disasters, access to menstrual hygiene products, underwear and other personal essentials remains a basic need. I am thankful to them for providing these items,” she said.
For Ruma, receiving the supplies was also a message that everyone’s needs mattered.
“I cannot bring my mother back, and it will take a long time to rebuild our damaged house. However, this kit has given me something precious — the feeling that the dignity and needs of girls are important and that we have not been forgotten.”
Support for a New Beginning
In Gohainbari Tea Estate in Sivasagar, the flood caught Majoni Chetri, who was seven months pregnant, inside her home.
Her husband, a daily-wage labourer, had left for work despite the rain because missing a workday meant losing a day’s income. Within an hour, floodwater entered their house and began bringing down its bamboo and thatched walls.
Unable to move quickly because of her pregnancy, Majoni stood in knee-deep water clutching her six-year-old daughter until her husband returned and helped them reach safety.
But escaping the flood did not end their crisis. The family moved between temporary shelters before returning home in August, only to find the difficult task of rebuilding waiting for them. With her husband the sole earning member and Majoni unable to contribute physically because of her pregnancy, every rupee had to be divided between food, reconstruction and the impending delivery.
“When Bal Raksha Bharat officials visited the village to assess the needs of affected families, immediately the thought came that some of our financial pressure would be eased,” said Majoni.
The food supplies will support the family for around one and a half months, giving her husband some breathing room to use his earnings towards rebuilding their home and preparing for the arrival of their baby.
“With the food and nutrition support, my husband can now save some of his earnings for the upcoming delivery and the expenses we will have when the baby arrives,” Majoni said.
Majoni expressed her gratitude to Bal Raksha Bharat.
“They have been like angels for me and my family. Their support has come at a time when we were clueless about how to manage everything.”
The stories of Deboswari, Asurya, Ruma and Majoni show that recovery after a disaster is about more than rebuilding homes and replacing lost belongings. It is also about restoring confidence, protecting childhood, preserving dignity and giving families the hope and strength they need to start again.
She is an award-winning journalist and media professional based in Guwahati. Her work primarily highlights critical development, social, and cultural issues from Northeast India, focusing heavily on community-centric stories.