Disaster Response Ecuador Project #23892

Ecuador Earthquake Rapid Response

by All Hands and Hearts

Project Report | Oct 16, 2016
Ecuador Report #2

By Rachel Deery | Grant Writer

SER Centre Handover

Hello donors!

Our Ecuador Earthquake Response program is moving along smoothly and progress is being made every day. Our work has transitioned from the immediate response of rubbling homes and constructing temporary shelters to constructing permanent bamboo homes. Our team on the ground has assessed the communities of Canoa and San Vicente to identify those most in need of our assistance. To date All Hands Volunteers have fully completed 8 permanent bamboo homes that have been handed over to the beneficiaries in a community ceremony. These homes were designed with the beneficiaries to ensure that all needs were met, each family had total control over the outcome of their home. These shelters are outfitted with latrine systems that provide a sanitary environment for the families. These shelters ensure that all families are comfortable and safe in the land they own, and prevent families from living in unsafe structures or having to leave.

Since our last report our Learning Center has been completed! The center is officially designated as a SER Centre which stands for Health, Education, and Recreation in Spanish. The SER Centre is located in the Ceibo Renacer neighborhood of Manta and will assist the entire surrounding community. This center is designed to provide classes and a meeting space for the families and children in the community. Our staff on base paid special attention to the playground outside of the center which is designed to assist children severely impacted by the earthquake. Each element of the playground is made from recycled materials and allows children to experience various motions and sensations. These motions and sensations assist children that suffer from post-traumatic stress after the earthquake and help them to get reacclimated to movement.The activities at the playground will support the recovery process by allowing children an outlet to express themselves creatively and psychologically.

Currently All Hands Volunteers are in the process of completing another 8 homes which will be completed in the coming weeks. These homes will be turned over soon in another ceremony, and our work will continue with new beneficiaries. The need is endless and we work hard every day to try and impact the most families in the area. Your donations help to further our efforts in the community and provide a safe space for those affected by the earthquake. We thank you for your continued support and invite you to stay up to date on our work around the world through our website www.hands.org!

Thank you!

SER Centre

SER Centre Playground

Beneficiary Home Handover

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Jul 22, 2016
Ecuador Earthquake Report

By Rachel Deery | Grant Writer

Hello donors!

All Hands has been on the ground in Ecuador since April and an enormous amount of progress has been made. The thousands of people that were affected by the earthquake are beginning to recover and regain a sense of normalcy. We have demolished and rubbled 16 homes to date, with 1 home in progress. To date we have completed 14 temporary structures using bamboo. In order to reinforce these structures to prevent damage in the event of a future earthquake we use rebar in the walls. This forces debris to fall outside of the structure rather than in to the structure during the earthquake. We have reinforced 23 structures with rebar to date. In order to supply our ever-growing need for bamboo we are looking in to a collaboration to build a bamboo treatment center that would provide the bamboo necessary to construct shelters. This center will not only treat bamboo, but will also build local capacities with bamboo construction, treatment and masonry. We have also received approval to build a Temporary Learning Center in San Miguel de Briceño.

With over 16,000 homes destroyed or damaged homes there is endless amounts of work to be done. In many areas that are difficult to access we are helping out in various different ways, including assisting the 200 families living in the Saman Internally Displaced Peoples Camp. Drainage ditches have been created to combat the flooding that has occurred due to earthquake and worsened by storms. These ditches also surround the camp in order to prevent flooding there and mud buildup. Inside of the camp we have constructed wash tables for sanitation purposes and a permanent fence to aid in security.

We are greatly appreciative of your donations and hope that you continue to support our mission in Ecuador. We would not be able to sustain our programs without donors like you. For any additional information please visit our website!

Links:

http://www.hands.org

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