Here in South Florida we are in the midst of our rainy season. It rains just about every day this time of year. It’s not so bad, so long as you have a dry place to stay, electricity and a way to keep the mosquitoes out.
Every time it rains especially hard, I can’t help but think of all the families around the world living in shacks, tents or other shoddy structures. Just the practical, everyday logistics of living in such circumstances seems overwhelming – most especially in this soaking season.
So many millions of families in the developing world live in unsafe, hazardous dwellings with dirt floors. They’re forced to share space with an unstoppable flow of mosquitoes, rats and roaches, and are truly at the mercy of the elements. Of course the little ones suffer from miserable living conditions like this, but I think about the parents too.
I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for a parent to have to plan for things like having your floor turn into a muddy mess every time it rains. It’s exhausting enough being a parent. And you know it’s hard enough even in ideal conditions getting kids to go to sleep (and then stay asleep).
I can’t fathom having to live in a place that required around-the-clock vigilance, knowing that any sort of weather event could easily bring down your home. Combine that with not having a locking front door and hearing absolutely everything (no soundproof walls, no fan) going on in your neighborhood throughout the night… sleep sounds pretty much impossible.
This struggle is happening right now for millions of poor families throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. It’s their rainy season too, although many of them don’t have a place to stay dry, electricity or a way to keep mosquitoes out. It’s the time of year when rain floods their shacks and pours through pitiful patchwork roofs just about every day. This is when kids get really sick.
This is why giving decent, solid homes to people in need is such a great blessing! In addition to the obvious benefits of having a place that is safe and dry to lay your head, well-built homes allow parents to sleep better, children to stay healthier and family units to stay together. Every family deserves a proper shelter from the storm.
If you’d like to give a family a proper shelter from the storm, you can do so here.