More than seven weeks ago that Cyclone Chido ravaged Mayotte and two weeks from the second tropical Dikeledi storm. In mainland France, the Mahoraise and Comorian community is always mobilized. This is the case in Provence, where collectives tirelessly continue to harvest and send many donations to the island.
Of our correspondent in Marseille,
Departure from Marseille with a truck loaned by a volunteer from the Ambre association. “” We go towards Toulon. And there, let’s go, we have an appointment there for 2 p.m. We will recover foodstuffs ».
Naïr is the president of the association, who takes care of getting the donations: “ Currently, we are loading everything that is water and milk. Then we will load everything that is foodstuffs, such as pasta, rice, canned, and couscous. Then thereafter, if we have room, we will put everything that is medical material. And if we really have room, we’re going to take the clothes ».
But quickly the Marseille truck is packed. “” We will try to find a second truck to transport everything ». Abdou is president of the Union Mahoraise de Toulon: ” Like that, we follow you. Like that, we bring everything there. It would be good for everything to go. If it stays here, we’re going to wait a week, it could delay the help. And there are people who need it. We will try to find a truck, it’s better ».
Twenty minutes later, a semi-trailer belonging to one of the volunteers beware of the parking lot. “” We would like is that everything goes to the island of Mayottebecause there are people who die of hunger, others who don’t even have a place to sleep, dress, eat. We try to make the gesture ».
Read tooMayotte: a month after the disaster, return to the surge of solidarity of the online prize pools
There is not only food, there is everything
“” We have a lot of food, but also a lot of clothes. There are toys, hygiene products, toothpaste. There is really everything ». More than sixty large boxes in all. Donations that have been flocking for weeks here in Toulon, explains Kassim, a Comorian volunteer. “” We gathered all the people of Toulon, whether Malagasy, Anjouana, Comorians, Mahorais. And frankly, it worked well ».
A mobilization that should not stop there for him. “” It’s not just today. The crisis will not stop today. If you have to restart the donations once a month, it will be necessary to do it. The reconstruction of Mayotte will not be done in a day. Lives, people, misery, it will not stop in a day, so you have to continue ».
Once the trucks are loaded, then the donations are placed in a hangar in Marseille. Result time: ” So there, we just unloaded all the donations that we recovered in Toulon from the colleagues. We have between seven and eight tonnes of foodstuffs, as well as clothing and medical equipment ».
Donations that will leave by sea and will put a little less than two months to arrive in Mayotte.
Read tooMayotte: rationing, exorbitant prices … Drinking water becomes a rare commodity