When Manu Gardeweg from “Lohmar hilft” the pensioners from the association “Ärzte für Äthiopien e.V.” (Doctors for Ethiopia) are on the spot. Everyone can benefit from cooperation. Today, building materials were transported to the flood area, to Zweifall near Stolberg to be precise. Actually, everything went smoothly. Already at 8 a.m. a truck was picked up at AVIS in Sankt Augustin. At the warehouse of “Lohmar hilft” in Troisdorf, a pallet truck and stretch film were quickly loaded and then off to Hamminkelen-Brünnen, where the building material was loaded. We then quickly went on to Zweifall to Kathi’s house, who is doing all she can to organise and deploy help in the community that was badly affected by the floods, even though her own house was badly damaged. In the village itself, all aid, whether building materials, food etc., is stored in a church. When you see the pictures of the flood disaster on TV, it is depressing. But to see the situation in reality on site is really shocking. After unloading, we were shown the small stream that had turned the whole place into a huge lake. Afterwards we went to Kathi’s house, where we could see the progress of the work. There is still a lot to do. The basement and the ground floor of the house have been totally devastated by the water masses. Not all walls are dry yet. The images will continue to reverberate for a long time. One thing is certain, the 13-hour operation today was extremely meaningful and appropriate, especially since there is hardly any media coverage of the smaller places affected.
Hartmut Schulz