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Earthquake May 12, 2008
This particular Monday afternoon was much like most
others. Sam had just finished his last AP exam in the morning and had
returned home for lunch. Josanne and Anna were getting started on
their afternoon home school session, and Chris was back to work preparing
reports. All seemed normal. Then at about 2:35 our time the
walls began to shake, the pictures were pounding the walls, and book cases
were pounding into each other. In an instant we were all rushing
toward the door and scrambled down the stairway toward safety.
The 7.9 earthquake made buildings sway, cars bounce,
and all we could do was hope it didn't get worse. Fortunately, it
didn't. But for many, many others it was a major disaster. We
spent the next couple of weeks helping those who lost everything in the
biggest quake the people of this area can remember.
Here are some pictures of the places we visited, the
people we met, and the ways in which we were able to help.
Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes Craft time with the craft queen.
Many local residents, both national and foreigners, carried supplies and provided medical assistance to multiple locations along the earthquake zone. Rescue teams such as this risked their lives (many lost their lives) hiking into the back country to find survivors in remote villages. Landslides could be seen in every direction on these steep mountains. Some small, some large enough to swallow towns. Landslides blocked rescue efforts and threatened rescue teams. This village is home to 1300 residents. Now, none of them have a home. This was our first trip to this area. We met with local residents and assessed their need. Since then we've made several return trips carrying requested supplies. Most residents who lost homes quickly constructed tents and shelters. Since everything was damaged they had little materials to use for shelter. We provided over 750 yards of plastic tarp for use in constructing tents. This resident used materials found within the rubble of their home to build a small shelter. After the first couple of days the government started delivering a steady supply of food and water. Supplies were delivered to central municipalities where they were then distributed to villages and individual homes. As we got to know the leader of this village we learned more of their history, struggles, and needs. They couldn't believe that we would invest such a great amount of time and resources to help them. Very few pots, pans, bowls, or chopsticks survived the quake. People shared what they had. Chris and his family were visiting us from Colorado when the earthquake hit. They quickly canceled the remainder of their tour to stay on to help the disaster victims. This camp eventually housed as many as 2,000 people including a Red Cross station and a foreign doctor clinic. The refugee camp doctors were in need of much medicine. We purchased local supplies and delivered them. As the refugee camp begain to swell with new families kids were quickly becoming bored. Volunteers assembled a small activity center and brought in art and craft materials for the kids. Remembering those lost in the quake. Our two families spent a night putting together hygiene kits and kids activities for delivery the next day. Josanne went with a team of women to deliver supplies and play with the kids. A local book store donated several hundred small children's books. This town was one of the hardest hit. No building was left undamaged. Very few survived. Workers formed a line to remove rubble from this school where most of the students were still buried.
Many local residents, both national and foreigners, carried supplies and provided medical assistance to multiple locations along the earthquake zone.
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This site was last updated
11/15/08
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