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In
October 2005, the world suffered a series of terrible natural disasters, with
the earthquake in Pakistan and storms and hurricanes in the United States and Central
America (Katrina, Rita,
Stan, Alpha, Gamma, etc.), causing a great deal of damage. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is present in these areas and has continued
to act ceaselessly since then. Here is the first issue of Americ@news, which
gives information about the activities of the Conferences and the Councils in
those places. Please do not hesitate
to send your comments to cgi.information@ozanet.org
USA
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Result of Katrina
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As is well
known, the United States were seriously affected by the storms in October 2005
and more particularly by Katrina and Rita. The Society of Saint Vincent de
Paul has done immediate and marvellous work to reach out to those made
homeless by the disasters, helping as many victims as possible, whilst
avoiding duplication of aid.
There was help
with food, distribution centres and clothes shops, medicines, houses, legal
services etc. A canteen in the
Baton-Rouge area carried out three times their normal business,
distributing about 45,000 meals between September and January instead of
the usual 15,000.
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At the beginning
of February the Society in Baton-Rouge had already distributed more than
150,000 items of clothing to more than 31,000 homeless people, and toiletry
items to more than 25,000 and has continued these distributions since then.
More than 60 lorry loads carrying essential items (water, food, nappies, clothes) had also been distributed in the most affected
areas which the Government could not reach. The Society’s shops also provided
mattresses, furniture etc. to the people who were setting up their homes
again, and they continue to do this work despite a significant reduction in
donations since the disaster.
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Using their
normal advantage of being “on site”, the Society was one of the first
organisations to bring its aid, notably with the longest queues in front of
the aid offices, in the withering heat
The Society’s
Homes have helped very many affected people including those who were
already homeless before the disaster; and this work becomes more and more
necessary as gradually many homes belonging to other institutions, which
were opened in the emergency, are being closed.
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A Vincentian from the United States
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The Society of
Saint Vincent de Paul has received aid from abroad and notably a donation of
about $ 2,800,000 in different
material forms coming from Saudi Arabia. The Society was also part of a group of
about 10 organisations which received grants from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). The General Council also helped with a
symbolic $5,000 shortly after the disaster.
Source : Ozanam News, USA National Council
Bulletin
CENTRAL AMERICA: First emergency help
Shortly after the
disasters, Ernesto Balladares, International Territorial Vicepresident for
Central-South America visited the affected countries in Central America. The aim was to
evaluate the damage and current needs, and to distribute as part of this the
first aid of 30,000 dollars from the General Council intended to deal with
the emergency.
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5 countries
of Central America were affected by the
heavy rains brought about by Hurricane Stan causing great destruction,
above all in the small houses of the poorest families. The most serious
damage was caused in El Salvador, Guatemala (picture), Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica.
El Salvador and Guatemala were the most
affected, then Nicaragua and Honduras and the least
affected was Costa Rica.
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The US$ 30.000.00
that the C.G.I. sent were distributed by the Vicepresident after his visit to
Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and
based on the report received from Honduras and Mexico: 7,500 $ for
Guatemala, 6,800 for Nicaragua, and 5,000 for Mexico, Honduras and El
Salvador.
The criteria were the following:
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1.- To make
it clear that everyone was affected.
2.- The
damage in Guatemala (picture) and Nicaragua was caused in
the areas of greatest poverty in those countries.
3.- Everyone had an urgent need of clothes, food
and shelter even if it consisted of plastic or cardboard
4.- Guatemala and Nicaragua were given a
little bit more because they already have Hostels and refectories set up
but due to the floods the need for them greatly increased.
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In Mexico, the US$
5,000.00 received were used in helping the families
affected by Stan and Wilma in the regions of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Hidalgo. They have
prioritised the families who lost everything including the land where their
houses were and who also lost their employment and harvests.
With regard to Nicaragua, with the US$ 6.800.00 that
was given they focussed on children’s refectories, since the number of
families affected increased after the floods. Therefore, they set up two new
refectories in the damaged areas and in addition have had to help with
clothes, and materials for the repair of houses. In total, 470 children and
30 elderly people were assisted.
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Children Canteen in Honduras
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Honduras has
helps three children canteens in the zone affected by tempest Gamma, as
well as 600 families in the region of Yoro, the most affected area, with
basic crop – as all harvests were lost -, medicines and clothes (given by
Conferences in regions not affected. Now the Society is planning to develop
a crop and agricultural project.
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In El Salvador, from the very
beginning, the SSVP made its presence felt by helping those affected with
food and clothing. With the emergency aid sent by the CGI, 2 houses could be
built for the 2 families who had lost everything due to the Hurricane at a
cost 2500 US for each family.
However, the needs of a poor and overpopulated country have left us with the
desire to offer more help given the eruption of the Ilamatepec volcano in Santa Ana, for which we
launched a Scheme for the collection of funds, with the raffle draw of a
house. Unfortunately, due to poor publicity about Stan itself, the nationwide
Telethon event and to which all our publicity attentions have been devoted,
we still have a shortfall in the sale of tickets and are suffering
considerable losses up to now
Long term Schemes
In every country,
after the emergency, long-term action plans have been set up.
In Mexico, some time back, a
nationwide Co-ordination Team from the Vincentian Family (ECOFAVIM) was
created. Amongst other duties, the task of co-ordinating joint action has
been accomplished by the different Vincentian groups to respond to emergency situations
and disasters caused by man or nature. Vincentian Volunteers (VV), the
Congregation of the Mission (CM), Daughters or Charity (HC), Society of Saint
Vincent de Paul (SSVP),
Vincentian Marian Youth (JMV-HHM), Association of the Miraculous Medal (AMM),
and the Vincentian Secular Missionaries (MISEVI) form part of this group.
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 Picture of the damage in Mexico
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The team has
identified four communities which needed particular help, in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Yucatán
after they had suffered from the hurricanes Stan and Wilma. In each area
rebuilding schemes have been set up and support groups for provisions,
medicines and clothes.
Since October
last year, the SSVP National Council of Mexico decided to help, as much as
they could, directly and together with the Vincentian family, to gather
funds that would be used for aid. The Society sent to two of the affected
communities the sum of $4000 Dollars for the purchase of rebuilding
materials that were handed over to the families as these sums were needed.
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The SSVP in Mexico has only one
Conference of 4 members that operates in El Triunfo, State of Chiapas which is in one
of the areas affected. In this area, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, as
well as continuing to participate fully in the scheme run by ECOFAMVIN,
wishes to bring aid to families in the area, allowing them to purchase
materials. Thanks to the help of worldwide SSVP, Council General has been
able to send 33,000 $ to build 10 houses.
El
Salvador
Hurricane Stan
lashed El Salvador with quite a lot
of force and given that it is a very small and over-populated country, any
small disaster wreaks a lot of havoc.
With the problem
of rain there were floods both in the city and the countryside, leaving a
total of 69 dead and more than 40,000 injured.
Apart from this,
the eruption of the Santa Ana (Ilamatepec) volcano, leaves about 4 kilometres around the volcano
unpopulated. Many people have returned
to their homes contrary to the Red Alert decreed by the Government and before
a new imminent eruption which has already been predicted by the SNET.
The Society’s
plans and schemes have been realised firstly in emergency aid, which was
given to the Conferences in the most affected places; the National Council
brought financial and material support to take care of these needs.
The Society has
had, for about 8 years, a scheme of grants to allow poor young people to
study. The disaster has forced the expansion of the programme, at a cost of $
6,000.00. USD.
The SSVP has also
provided for the building of about 30 houses with a value of US$ 2,500.00
each.
Guatemala
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The Society in Guatemala has drawn up a
house rebuilding scheme for the victims of Stan, in the Municipal community
of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Province of Sololá, Guatemala.
The National Council will take this to the Santa Catalina de
Alejandría Conference, in one of the areas of greatest poverty and which
was severely affected by Stan.
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Temporary refuges in Guatemala
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Homeless children in Guatemala
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The present
initiative has as a main objective how to deal with the needs of 30
families, with 136 inhabitants in the indigenous community of Tzamchaj in
the rural area in the west of Guatemala through the
intervention de la Society of Saint
Vincent de Paul, offering the possibility of providing housing to meet
basic needs
There was an
evacuation to settlements where at present there is no normal housing, the
government has only given them five waterproof sheets per family.
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The place where
currently they are is at a height of 3,000 m. above sea level, it is a cold climate and at this time is getting
worse. The Government has given 400 square metres equivalent to
one chord (a surface measurement in America) per
family.
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The building of
a house of 56 m² has been under
consideration. There is a municipal agreement which protects them as owners
of their own land. It is expected that the construction of the 30 houses is
to be carried out in a period of 30 days.
In the building
of houses, the labour of the whole population who are going to benefit must
be taken into account under the management of an engineer and builders,
trying to encourage self-help amongst the inhabitants.
The total
budget for the scheme of building 30 houses is US $111,000. The General
Council has decided to help with this scheme, thanks to the “disaster”
funds which, let us never forget, come only from our donations.
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1.
Family bedroom : 6 x 6 m
2.
Kitchen : 2x4 m
3.
Bathroom 2x2 m
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Source:
Reports from the Territorial Vicepresident, the Coordinator and the 5
National Councils in the area
Let us continue to help them!
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All the money received and sent to the General Council will be sent
to the countries in question as soon as possible. It is very important that
these funds go from the General Council to ensure proper administration and
good use of the funds which are a vital necessity at times for some precise
and specific schemes. You can send
money to:
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Société
de St. Vincent de Paul
Conseil Général International
6,
rue de Londres
75009 Paris, FRANCE
Or
by T/T transfer:
Banque
CIC- Paris Bac
2
Bd Raspail
75007
Paris, FRANCE
Account
no. FR76 3006 6100 4100 0105 8120 129
“Disaster fund”
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Although a great sum of money is needed, each contribution, however
small, has the same symbolic value. It is a sign of fraternity and
solidarity. A small amount sent by a
country with scant resources means a great effort for which it’s true value will be appreciated.
But let us not
forget…
Central Europe is, as is almost
normal unfortunately in this period, suffering tremendous floods causing much
human and material damage. The Society in these countries needs your help. We
thank you very much for your generosity!
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