Nearly a month after the alert that marked the beginning of the worst climatic tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul, residents of shelters in Porto Alegre recount their daily lives in the chaos of a flooded metropolis.
Living since May 4th at the Grêmio Náutico União and the sports park of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, they are a small part of the more than 13,000 people displaced in the city, which has 149 shelters in operation.
The interviewees say they feel well cared for, with access to three daily meals, medical care, donated clothing, and the attention of volunteers. Nevertheless, restrictive schedules, communal bathrooms, and lack of privacy are reminders that these places are not their homes.
In common, they share the desire to return home, to resume their lives, or at least see the extent of the damage. Additionally, all have hope for a new beginning and anguish over the uncertainty of when that will happen.