Cyclone Idai: 10-year-old Marta's story
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Cyclone Idai: Marta's story
It's been four weeks since cyclone Idai hit large parts of southern Africa, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without a home.
The tropical cyclone caused large-scale destruction and flooding to countries in the region, including Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
More than 1.8 million people have been affected across the three countries, with no electricity or running water in areas where homes have been swept away and roads destroyed by the floods.
Marta, 10, lives in Mozambique. She got in touch with Newsround to tell us what it's been like for her since the storm hit.
Marta's story
Marta (left) and her brother Nàc (right)
Marta lives in a small town called Marromeu with her adopted mum Alison and her twin brother Nàc.
When the storm struck, Marta and her family were in the city of Beira - one of Mozambique's biggest cities.
The storm caused a lot of damage in Beira.
The night of the storm was very scary. The windows were shaking and I thought they were going to break. The front gate fell on to our garden.
In the days following, the government in Mozambique said that 100,000 people from there needed to be rescued.
Marta and her family weren't harmed by the storm but they did have to live off rainwater for several days after.
We lived off rainwater so one of Marta and her brother Nàc's jobs was to help haul water in from the buckets we put out to catch the rainwater and bring them into the kitchen and bathrooms every day. We took bucket showers using as little water as possible. Marta also helped a little with washing clothes in the buckets of rain water.
Marta's school was badly damaged so Marta and her brother had nowhere to go during the day time.
Luckily, another local school opened its doors to all the children in the area who had been affected by the storm.
A helping hand
Marta's mum, Alison
Marta's adopted mum Alison works for an organisation called YWAM - it stands for Youth With A Mission.
They work with communities in remote areas in Mozambique who have little or no access to hospitals and schools.
Lots of places in Mozambique don't have great roads and the only way to get to them is by travelling on rivers which are dangerous because they are infested with crocodiles and hippos.
Instead, YWAM works with a charity called Mercy Air which uses planes and helicopters to reach the communities, offering teaching and food supplies.
Travelling by air has been really important in helping find people in danger after the cyclone and in getting supplies to people in areas cut off by flood water.
Marta and Nàc
All of the family together
Marta and Nàc have been doing their bit to help people affected by the cyclone.
Marta has been helping unload aeroplanes which have food and clothing donations in them.
The planes are helping people by dropping off everyday life supplies to people whose homes have been flooded or destroyed
The donations have been given to orphanages and to other people who are in need in the community.
Marta's brother Nàc has also helped by translating for volunteers who have come from places like America.
- Published14 December 2017
- Published11 October 2018
