By Gillian Wilson | Project Leader
In October, 2010 IDEX Program Officer, Katharine Zavala traveled to Guatemala. She witnessed first-hand the effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. Below is an excerpt. You can read her full blog post here.
Tecun Uman in Chinautla, Guatemala:
"The storm destroyed 40 houses and even three months after the storm hit, the effects are still devastating. Just recently, three children were killed after their house collapsed. Because the road was blocked, it was too hard to reach them in time.
In the area near the river, where the storm destroyed many homes, we saw how precarious the cliffs were. At the short time we where there, we saw a large piece of land crumble down into the river. The cliff we were standing on didn’t look like it would hold much longer. Many of the houses have been evacuated – still, people cross here all the time. In fact, this is the path that children use daily to get to school."
Donations from donors have helped repair shelters, schools and homes, allowing people in towns like Tecun to continue on with their lives, altered by the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. In communities like Tecun, poverty and lack of resources can mean an inability to recover as a community from natural disasters. With IDEX partners working together we can mitigate the long-term effects of natural disasters and help rebuild communities in Guatemala.
Your donations make a real impact. Thank you!
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