| There was not as much destruction in Guatemala as in Honduras, but I
would like to report on what I could see from personally visiting some of the areas in
this city. A few days after I arrived, I heard on one of the Catholic radio stations that
they were collecting clothing and food for the areas where people had lost their homes. I
called them up, since I knew the person who ran the station, and I went with them on one
of their trips to deliver the things they had collected. I was able to offer to buy items they needed with some of the money that many friends had given me on my leaving St. Dominic's parish. There were things that they were short of which take hard cash to buy, things which families do not have in extra supply on their shelves, such as powdered milk, baby bottles, gallons of pure water, rice, salt, etc. So I went to the radio station and saw all that it had collected, some from church agencies and other things that individual families were bringing in small bags. The people at the station were so happy with the generous outpouring of help that many people had offered, and by persons often times with very little means themselves. The radio programs had collected the information about where people were not getting help. The majority of need was in the centers where they had gathered up to 7,000 people in churches and schools, almost all women and children. While I was at the station, a group of volunteers took a van full of food to Don Bosco shelter in the center of the city. These centers will remain the home for those whose homes were ruined or in danger for some time since the rain is continuing and it is not clear when it will be safe to return, or if they should ever return. The places where they live are not really fit for habitation in the first place. And many have had to leave all their belongings, which are few, but are now susceptible to being robbed. Meanwhile they must cope with living "cheek-to-jowl" with others in cramped quarters. There are many who were not directly affected by the storm who are coming in to take advantage of a hot meal. This causes tensions among neighbors, but many of them need all the help they can get. Some Boy Scouts and university students are there to play with the children. Many people are helping, plus agencies like the Red Cross International, etc. The U.S. had sent two helicopters to rescue people from flooded areas, and Spain, France, and China promised help. Mexico also promised help, which is interesting, since it won't do much for the poor Indians in Chiapas. Cuba sent a team of doctors and specialists for disasters of this type since they are used to them; they have a plan of cooperation with Guatemala. We decided to take some supplies to one of the parishes that had asked for help. Interestingly it was called St. Dominic's parish, in a place called Mixco. The station had taken clothing to them the day before. We decided to give at least some of the food we had collected, although we wanted to save enough for areas farther away that were not getting help. So we took things they asked for and what was the easiest to distribute. We figured that in a few more days or a week aid would come from foreign countries; in the meantime people were hungry and cold. We brought some things that could be cooked up in large quantities in the parish center and other things good for individual families. We took a fifty-pound sack of oats and a couple more of corn meal, a box of large tins of cooked... |
