SOS Esmeraldas! Appeal for donations!
Dear friends of AMIGOS ARBOLITO
On June 4, heavy rains in Ecuador that lasted for 12 hours led to a flooding disaster in Esmeraldas.
The Tiaone River has overflowed its banks and flooded large areas
FLOODED
The floods in the south of the city of Esmeraldas have affected 3800 families, about 15000 people. The water was up to two meters high, and many people lost EVERYTHING. Nando was on site today in one of the affected neighborhoods to get a picture of the situation and gather information about the families who have been damaged. It is a battlefield. The already low-income families are trying to move the mud out of their homes and salvage what can be salvaged. It's usually not much more than a few pieces of clothing. They tell that while they spent the night on the floor in an emergency shelter, their destroyed houses were invaded, and looted what was left after the flood.
First voucher campaign in "La propicia 4", June 13 & 14, 2023
On June 13, we went to the neighborhood "La Propicia 4", where we collected data a week ago to record affected families.
Here the flooding was terrible, and the damage to and in the houses was enormous. Many still spend the nights in emergency shelters. Until then, the people have not yet received any government aid.
Thanks to your generous donations, we could carry out the first voucher campaign. The vouchers are valid for the local supermarket and related stores. The needs of the families are different, and with the vouchers, they have the freedom to buy what is most urgent for them. The value of the vouchers depends on the number of people. A few more families presented than we had recorded during Tuesday's data collection, so we were on-site again the next day. The families who received their vouchers are grateful for the small support that AMIGOS ARBOLITO was able to hand over in your name. An older man has laughed; a little soap and toilet paper is the most urgent thing for him. Another family needs shoes to send their four children to school; the old ones were washed away in the flood.
In the campaign in "La Propicia 4," we could consider 44 families, a total of 196 people.
The next voucher action is planned for the end of the week in the neighborhood "50 Casas".
We thank all those who have donated or are planning to donate, allowing us to channel a little support to many people.
Voucher campaign in "50 casas", June 16, 2023
On Friday, thanks to generous donations, we brought vouchers to 34 families in the "50 Casas" neighborhood, all living right next to the river, and were heavily affected.
We had already done the data collection a week before, and we were glad to hear that now more help was arriving, mainly in food. The people were happy to receive the vouchers and were content to have the flexibility to shop according to their needs.
We considered 121 people in "50 Casas" in the voucher campaign and, in addition, brought a used but functional gas stove to one family.
CHARITY CONCERT
On June 17th, we organized a virtual benefit concert with Milton Bautista, "El Chakarron". The concert was streamed live, but you can watch it anytime on Quinta El Mamey's Facebook page. Initially, this concert series was started by a friend from the US to help our musician friends in Esmeraldas during the economic and social crisis here in Ecuador. In light of the misery, Milton decided to donate money raised from the concert.
Milton Bautista “El Chakarron”
Donations directly to AMIGOS ARBOLITO go 100% to the flood victims. They are dedicated for the most essential needs. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely, your
AMIGOS ARBOLITO Team
