Welcome to issue 88 of the Call to Comms!
TSF's team in Mayotte met Yassira on Dec. 24. during a TSF operation in response to cyclone Chido. She accepted to share her story with us to get a closer insight on the situation after the cyclone and the importance of communications in such a situation.
What happened when the cyclone hit?
“Well, when the cyclone hit, the first thing [we wanted to know] was whether everyone was alive. We didn't have any network at all. We had to wait about four days, before we actually heard that there was a network at the Sodicash [shop]. It went down little by little. So after that, everyone waited at home but from time to time we went around to see if there was a network further away”.
How did you manage to make calls?
Some people went to the capital. But you have to be able to get there! Because if you don't have any petrol, well, it's nearly impossible. I know people who walked all the way to Mamoudzou [the island’s main city, 4h30 of walking away from Tsingoni] or Iloni to find a connection point and reassure their families.
I know some people from my family who live in Saint-Ghislain, who walked there for several kilometers and then sometimes they got picked up hitchhiking, dropped off somewhere – but really, the first few days everyone was focused on who was alive.
“We want to connect, but there's no electricity there.”
Do you have any 4G here after the cyclone?
[We receive messages but] we can't answer, because it's too heavy or something. What was happening was that, as soon as we tried to answer, there was no network. It didn't let you send it, so it was a pain.
We're trying to be on the lookout, especially as there's a vicious circle here, because we want to connect, but there's no electricity there.

How are you charging your phones without electricity?
There's a gentleman there, the red truck there, he's letting the petrol run, in fact it's an engine - I'm thinking of an electric engine, something like that, I don't know - but in any case, every day he's letting it run, so that people can charge their phones and their devices.
I don't know what his face looks like, but frankly, the first time I saw this, I thought to myself, “how can he have such a good heart to do that?” Because you still have to go out and get gas, regularly, if there's people going out, the commune is going to go out and get their phone, their computer, all that kind of stuff, so the gas is going to run out quickly.
Are you okay with your testimony being shared?
Yes. I think it's interesting to see that people are taking an interest in us and that things are moving at least a little. We feel less lost, even if it's true that there isn't always a network, and thanks to you we're going to have a bit more.”
See you in two weeks!

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