Elias Sempindo, 72, thought he would spend his twilight years doting on his grandchildren; instead, the retired medical officer is back treating patients at a clinic in Morogoro, 190km west of Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

At least 28,000 people are dependent on emergency food and other relief supplies in the central Tanzanian regions of Dodoma and Morogoro following floods, which also damaged transport infrastructure, according to officials.

That shops nowadays are teeming with goods can make one forget all about the yesteryears when shortage was the other face of shops.

HATA mimi nilikuwa nawashangaa wanaoishi mabondeni. “Kwa nini hawahami? Wanaona mchezo kuhama na kuhamia kila mwaka?” niliwaza.