Sadly, the floods are back in most parts of Kenya. People are losing their homes, property, and sanity. In the midst of a 3rd Covid wave, where we are no longer sure if we will eventually get the 1st/2nd vaccination. Have you checked on people who live in areas prone to floods and landslides? Is their mental health fit to soldier the situation?
No jobs, high life expenses, pandemic and now Floods?
This is where we are.
Pandemic promoted shutdowns of businesses, downsizing of employees, salary cuts, joblessness, mental issues, among others.
Every time the measures are loosened, and a little hope is birthed. The numbers spike and measures get tightened. Then we go down hard, and with nothing to soften our landing. How long can we stomach all these and remain sane before we all go nuts? Do we have a way out?
My leaders are busy campaign for a change of constitution, adding more taxes, and doing nothing towards our current status. It’s funny how they have all been present in such discussions. Yet fail to show up when it comes to climate change issues, corruption, poor waste management, mental health, wildlife conservation, floods, public welfare, just to name a few.
When we longer have natural resources to exploit, how are we to contribute to the taxes they keep imposing on us? Once climate change takes everything from us, then what? What is their plan for the traumatized climate refugees? That mum who still fears the sound of a thunderstorm, that kid who says floods take away everything they had, that hardworking citizen whose land was washed downstream and reduced to a beggar? What next?
Mental Health
Natural disasters have been taking away physical things from us repeatedly. But it’s now taking our sanity. Our mental health is no longer at its best, and we really need it at 100% with all these problems surroundings us.
Media people come with 2 or 3 days food donations to get news and photos, before disappearing to the next story. Same applies to the humantarian organizactions, government, well wishers, etc. Maybe thats what they can manage to be helpful. But what happens to these people once all the help is gone, and their source of income never manages to revive?
Check up on them, give what you can, and truly converse with them. Let them open up, and help them to heal. A healthy brain and good mental health status are able to think of solutions. Let’s not allow them to lose that for good. Hunger may not make you lose hope, but depression will quickly kill any hope within.
Could the Floods be utilized?
Yes they could, but how do we convince the responsible stakeholders to do the needful?
Those who have storage, go ahead and harvest the excess water. It will be really helpful, few months to come. As we have noted droughts follow these floods.
Conclusion
It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to stay not okay. Talk it out, journal it or even scream it out. Whatever you do, don’t bottle it up. Allow yourself to feel it, then look for a solution. You may not succeed sometimes, but that’s a plus in the right direction.
Climate change doesn’t have off days or leave days, it’s still destroying our planet. Every little climate action is vital, especially now.
You write a very moving post and you have explained it so clearly… I like what you said about harvesting the water. I hope and pray that there will be leaders who can make a difference 🤗
Thank you very much.
I hope so too that we have leaders who will take our nature seriously.
What a tough time we are living in. Thank you for bringing both awareness and hope to your audience.
Thank you very much
I wish the American government cared about climate change as much as you. After all, climate change is mostly the US’s fault.
Thank you very much. 🙏 I really hope everyone plus our leaders join in this course to reclaim our healthy planet back.
Sorry to hear that about Kenya at the moment. I hope you’re staying safe while the floods happen. Very good advice about how it’s not okay to stay not okay.
Thank you very much 🙏. Am trying my best, and we hope the floods will reduce. Yes, we really need to take good care of our mental health amidst everything happening around us.
You’re welcome. That’s good. I hear you right there with mental health no matter the weather.
🙏🙏 Thank you
No problem, Cheche.
Absolutely sad that every year the government is aware that floods will be a recurrent event in some parts of the countries and disaster management measures have not been placed. Simple measures such as unblocking sewages in time, proper physical planning in emerging towns etc. could go a long way.
That’s right, surprisingly when it comes to introducing new taxes, policies favoring them, and corruption. They do those on time. We need to keep pushing for our environmental betterment.
Well said Cheche.
🙏🙏🙏 Thank you