Located at the foot of the Himalayan mountains in India’s northeast, the province of Assam is distinctly vulnerable to natural hazards, including heavy rainfall and flooding. The rainfall season in 2022 was devastating, that by July, hundreds perished in the flooding and one million were displaced.

SEEDS initiated a disaster relief response, providing critical aid to affected communities. Shelter quickly became one of the most urgent needs, for many people whose homes had been under water for weeks, and months. SEEDS provided RHU Structures as emergency shelters to accommodate displaced people in Assam, giving them the opportunity to lead and assist in the building of their Structures.

The Structures were upgraded with local materials, including bamboo, rammed earth and stone. And over time, the people living in their Structures committed to continued upgrades, ensuring that their Structures will provide them with the necessary support for a long period of time.

Shiva Naik, 30, photographed with his wife Archana Naik photographed with their 4-year-old daughter Sonakshi and two-year-old son Sumit outside their home in Kalain region of Assam. They have upgraded the shelter frame with local material, bamboo walls and tin roofing sheets to make it weather resistant. The resilient family is in the process of overcoming loss and the trauma of displacement.

An exterior view of the Bhomij home in Assam's Kalain region. Mangal Bhomij has upgraded the RHU shelter frame with local material, bamboo walls and tin roofing sheets.

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