Nyirangabe Semivumbi, DRC "My life has changed for the worse. It is a life full of hardships"

"My name is Nyirangabe Semivumbi and I am 46 years old. I have six children, four girls and two boys. I had just finished paying the mortgage on my house in Goma town when the volcano erupted. The same day, I left everything I had and ran with my kids to neighbouring Rwanda to a town called Gisenyi. Once in Gisenyi, the tremors caused by the eruption were felt even there. Some houses started to crumble, so once again, I had to flee, this time back to Congo.

"Back in Congo, I took refuge in an area called Nyabushongo, in Goma province. I stayed there for a few days before being transferred to a site which was being setup especially for people like me, victims of the Nyirangongo volcano. I stayed there for some months but it was overcrowded.

"God heard my prayers, and I was transferred to the Mugunga site to await resettlement. I still live under a tent though. I have a small plot of land given to me by the government, but I have nothing else. I cannot build a house without assistance.

"I used to have a good life before the catastrophe. I had a small business selling beans and other staple food. I could feed and clothe my children, send them to school. Now, my life has changed for the worse. It is a life full of hardships and disease. Now, to get money I sell illegal liquor ("gasigisi"). I only sell a gallon, and if I am lucky, the whole thing goes in one day. This is a very hard life and I do not know if I can survive this. I shudder to think of what would happen to my children if I died."