When the walls of her home gave way under heavy rain, Estere Kachinjika from Chiwambo Village did not think about her belongings. She thought about survival.
“When the house collapsed, we rushed out to save our lives,” she said at Ngolowindo maize distribution point in Traditional Authority Maganga, Salima, where she had come to collect relief maize after heavy rains at the end of March turned life into a struggle.
The floods destroyed homes and left many families without food or shelter.
In the aftermath, life in several parts of the district has not returned to normal. Families who once depended on their harvests and small household belongings are now rebuilding from nothing.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) in Salima has since moved in with emergency food support, distributing maize to 412 households whose homes were destroyed when the rains triggered widespread flooding.
The assistance has reached communities under Traditional Authority Kulunda, covering Group Village Heads Kawanga and Kulunda.
In Maganga, the support has extended across nine Group Village Heads, including Chiunda, Mbulu, Mikute, Mdalakwanda, Moyo, Chimwavi, Maganga, Kundayi, and Daniele.
For many families, the aid has brought a moment of relief amid an otherwise difficult reality.
Another beneficiary, Manzi Bwanali from Mikute Village, said: “Since the time the rains became heavy and destroyed houses, life has been very difficult because everything, including shelter and food, was destroyed. We are now grateful that we have received some assistance, and we say thank you.”
An assessment by the District Disaster Risk Management Committee found that 1,033 houses were damaged, with roofs blown off and walls collapsing across the district.
But even with food on the table, uncertainty remains.
Skochi Chuma, chairperson of the Mdalakwanda Village Disaster Risk Management Committee, said the maize distribution is helping families survive the immediate crisis as flooding continues to affect parts of the district.
He explained that when houses collapse, families lose not only shelter but also food reserves and personal property, leaving them with very little to fall back on.
Yet, he said, food alone is not enough. In many communities, displacement continues to shape daily life, with some families staying in camps, others in schools, and some being hosted by relatives.
“Temporary shelter is urgently needed,” Chuma said, stressing that many households remain vulnerable as they wait for more durable solutions.
As floodwaters go down, families in Salima continue to rebuild their homes and lives after the disaster. Many are still facing hardship as they try to recover from the damage left by the heavy rains.
