As most of you already know, Ecuador suffered a 7.8 earthquake early in the evening of Saturday, April 16, 2016. The devastation is still being tallied. People are still missing and families are losing hope.
It is the time to worry about the living… thousands of people are hovering between survival and possible death from dehydration and exposure. The smallest of communities are the hardest hit, with entire towns destroyed with no local safety net.
It used to be that I would see an article by TexMex asking Kossacks to come together to help raise funds for ShelterBox. It is because of her that I know about ShelterBox in the first place. And it’s the organization I am going to ask you to support in order to bring the most help to coastal Ecuador.
Here’s why —
Each box that ShelterBox can send to Ecuador will include a tent. It will be white so that if reflects sunlight… important in hot places like the Ecuadorian coast. The tents are also designed for long-term use. We know that it will take a long time to rebuild all that has been lost. Durability will be of extra importance.
ShelterBox includes water storage and purification equipment in each container. Even after water has been turned back on in many of these cities, it will likely be contaminated. The more Ecuadorians who have the ability to filter and clean their own water, the more that are less likely to get sick.
Everything was lost in this quake, including the most basic items like cooking pots. Food is arriving from Quito and Cuenca but there are few ways to prepare it, especially items like rice and beans that need cooking in order to eat. ShelterBox includes equipment for a basic kitchen.
This is the land of Zika and Dengue and Chikungunya. ShelterBox provides mosquito netting to keep mosquitos out of living spaces.
Each box also comes with tools to help with building. It means that locals can help to rebuild infrastructure like health clinics and schools much more quickly without having to spend their own money on equipment.
Please consider making a donation to ShelterBox.
Although this is an organization in Britain, they do take American donations.
You may make a regular contribution monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
You may make a one time contribution.
You can also donate by phone:
Remember, small donations quickly add up. To give you an idea of how much can help:
This week has been a crazy one and I have been collecting information about other donation opportunities as fast as I can.
Today, on LinkedIn, I remind people of the importance of donating money rather than goods, Why CASH Donations Help Ecuador Most.
This article, Donate Cash to Ecuador, includes some small, local groups raising funds for food.
Today, a new fundraising effort for providing boots for rescue dogs came across my newsfeed. I can vouch for the person raising the funds.
And finally, the Best Ways to Help Ecuador — from inside and out, includes links to large organizations (like ShelterBox and Oxfam), and to many GoFundMe pages put up by people with direct family and friend connections in Ecuador.
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