In the aftermath of the earthquake that struck southern Peru in mid-August, SOLAC has attempted to provide a little relief to those who have yet to benefit from the government's emergency response. The communities we have selected are rural, and in sometimes hard to reach places. Our first effort happened in Santa Cruz de Flores, about 80km south of Lima along the Panamerican Highway.Santa Cruz is a small agricultural community of a little over a thousand families. The earthquake destroyed the homes of several hundred of these families, many of whom were already living in poorly constructed homes, leaving them exposed to the elements with very little in the way of resources for reconstruction.
In the hopes of aiding in any possible way, SOLAC teamed up with two employees of a Lima hospital to bring essential supplies to the newly homeless families. Materials brought included: tarps (to combat weather), blankets, clothes, mattresses, cooking materials (e.g. oil, flour, sugar, rice, etc.), and toilet paper. The team set off in an old VW bus filled to the brim with supplies, and after minor mechanical issues, arrived in Santa Cruz in the early afternoon. A quick meeting with the mayor ended with him volunteering to drive two team-members around to familiarize them with the most affected areas.
While half of the team began distributing relief materials, the others focused on bringing a little cheer to the town's children. Piñatas, facepaints, dodgeball, and many other games made their way to the central plaza. The festivities lasted all afternoon, and proved to be every bit as exhausting for the SOLAC volunteers as the relief effort.As dusk arrived, the team emptied the last of the gear into the hands of a few remaining families, and began the trip back.
