Ladies of Charity (AIC) Report from Peru
More than two weeks after the quake….. “Everything, absolutely everything is destroyed. Of course I knew this was the case. But one thing is to imagine it, and another to see it.”
Dear Friends,
Last Friday, Pilar Barboza, a leader from the Asociacion de Caridades San Vicente in Miraflores, went to Pisco transporting 2,500 kilos of food for earthquake victims. On her return, at midnight, she wrote the following moving report:
“The trip down to Pisco went alright, though it was long because of the weight carried by our stationwagon. Thank God, at the insistence of another young Vincentian volunteer, I allowed her to come along because, on the return, our wagon broke down 80 Kms. from Lima, at night, and there was no way of repairing it until the next day. So we both stopped a bus, which also broke down at about the area of Conchan. Fifteen minutes later the driver fixed the problem and we continued. As we reached the Alipio Ponce bridge near Benavides, the bus caught fire. We all ran out of the bus and then took a “combi†(mini-bus) we found on the road which left us at the Benavides bridge; then another “combi,†until we got to my home. So you can imagine how I feel. But I’ll get over it, and now I will try to tell you how it went.
In Pisco Father Alfonso, wearing a mask, happily received us at the door of what had been part of the parish house—the other part had fallen. It will all be demolished when they receive a prefabricated wooden one. I gave him the food we had brought for him, which he shares with other priests and seminarians. Then we proceeded with the rest of our cargo to the school of the Sisters of Charity, which is now totally damaged and will also be demolished. We delivered our truckload to the patio with a human chain formed by several people that live in the area. They were so grateful. You should have seen their faces.
When we were coming into Pisco, oh my friend, what desolation. Everything is in ruins, in rubble. Houses still standing are uninhabitable and ready to fall. And we didn’t see anyone from Lima helping—gone are the firemen, the civil defense, the rescue workers and everyone who had been there. They’re now alone, but there is the hope of a new town. A group of successful businessmen has formed that will be in charge of reconstruction. I hope it is soon. I don’t know how people bear what they are living through. You just cannot imagine. They can’t shower, there are no toilets, no markets, no stores, no place to eat. Everything, absolutely everything is destroyed. Of course I knew this was the case. But one thing is to imagine it, and another to see it. My heart is broken from the sorrow. It is so cold at night and they’re sleeping in these tiny tents, without electricity or water yet. Father says water and sewage pipes have sunk two meters and there is no way of recovering them. They will have to do everything new, begin from zero.
There is another terrible thing, Joan. They’ve told Father that they’ve seen the (Nazca) fault line goes straight from the ocean through the Main Plaza (de Armas); the Church and everything on that fault line cannot be rebuilt on the same location. This was confirmed by the Bishop from Lima and all the experts. (Note: we hear the entire town may have to be relocated because of the fault line).
Forgive my pessimism but my soul is torn. Everything is dirt; people are in slow-motion. The only ones I saw animated, besides Father, were the Sisters of Charity who received us so happy for the donation knowing they could deliver help to the people. But Joan, donations cannot last too long. I hope the government does something soon.
On another topic, another group called the St. Vincent Conference has gone to hospitals to visit the injured (Note: 800 injured victims from Pisco were airlifted to Lima). There is a huge problem now because family members staying with the injured have nothing to eat. Father Alfonso has given us instructions to visit them and bring food to family members. Tomorrow Chana will be preparing large pots of beans and rice for them. So you see, we must respond to this need too, now. We can’t let these families suffer so much, after all they’ve been through. The hospitals feed the sick and it is said that the government will pay 800 soles to family members to provide care, but it hasn’t happened yet…†And she concludes, “Please pray for me. I’m very sad. â€
Joan Mahon continues…
We read of a huge national and international response in the news and on government websites. But we also read first-hand accounts of how difficult it is for individual victims to receive food, clothing and other emergency help. They stand in lines for hours at distribution points, only to be turned away because someone decided individuals must come representing their block, with their neighbors’ full names, addresses, ages, etc. If they manage to gather that information and return, new rules say they should have shown up with a number that had been given out the day before. And so many leave, empty-handed. (From “New York Times,†8/22/07). The bureaucratic red tape is awful. Individual churches and other volunteer and faith-based organizations are opting for driving down with food and help themselves. But, to top it off, government-sanctioned tolls are now back in place; they charged Pilar almost US$20 (Soles 60) during this trip. The UN states “some 200,000 people still need help to save their lives†(NYT 8/30/07).
Donations from family members and friends for earthquake victims in Pisco have been generous and greatly appreciated. We have wired the Asociacion de Caridades San Vicente a total of $11,000. (A personal note: in this country the Vicentian Volunteers are known as the “Ladies of Charity.†Back in 1985, when I did my first social work practicum with Parkland Hospital in Dallas, my mentor and supervisor just “happened to be†a Lady of Charity by the name of Ethel Gutting. She has since passed away; but I feel her with me every day, especially now).
I would like to give a special word of thanks to Rev. John Freund, C. M., from New York’s St. John’s University, who manages the Vincentian Family website and has been so supportive of this effort to help the members of the Vincentian Family in Peru, in their hour of need. Please check out their website: www.famvin.org/en for regular updates and comments.
In deep appreciation, from us both,
Mike and Joan
Tags: Disasters