From comforters to fingernail clippers, relief supplies bring hope

Mennonite Central Committee
Friday, 23 March 2001

AKRON, Pa. -- Earthquake survivors in El Salvador are receiving Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) relief supplies with joy.

"When we were distributing comforters, we gave one to an elderly blind man," reported Vicente Ramos, a New Holland, Pa., resident who recently returned from two weeks in the Central American country. "He held it in his hands, feeling the fabric. A big smile spread across his face as he recognized what it was."

Ramos is a member of the Worship Center in Leola, Pa., a church that cooperated with MCC to send material resources in mid-February, including 350 relief kit buckets, 1,728 combination school/health kits, 3,000 comforters and 1,100 pounds of thermal underwear. In exchange for handling shipping arrangements, the Worship Center group distributed half of these MCC goods along with its own donations.

The destruction in El Salvador, where about 17 percent of the population is homeless, was hard for Ramos to comprehend. "It looks like an atomic bomb was dumped on these towns," he said.

He described soccer fields covered with mattresses -- sleeping quarters for the homeless -- and row after row of plastic tents that provide little protection from chilly night winds. In the midst of this loss, relief supplies were symbols of hope.

"The kids were so excited about the [school/health] kits," he said. "They thought the fingernail clippers were the coolest thing -- they'd never had their own before."

Ramos delivered a relief kit bucket to Antonio and Esmerelda Cabrerra from the Las Colinas neighborhood in Santa Tecla. They were at work on the day of the Jan. 13 earthquake and rushed home to find that a huge landslide had buried their house and two children.

Ramos had seen the Cabrerras on television news in the U.S., and he remembered how the agony reflected in their faces couldn't hide a deeper peace and calmness.

"Esmerelda told me that she felt God saying, 'Nothing that happens should steal your joy,'" Ramos said. He was pleased to be able to give her a tangible sign of support.

"She pulled the towel off the top of the bucket, and she saw the Bible underneath. She grabbed it and held it against her chest," Ramos remembered. "She said one of the most precious treasures she'd lost was her Bible, and she was so happy to have another one."

Ramos also noted the generosity of the Salvadoran people. People from churches that were not damaged prepare rice, beans and tortillas to distribute daily, as well as supplies such as candles and matches.

As the rainy season approaches, anxiety is increasing for those without shelter, he said. Mudslides and impassable roads will hamper relief and rebuilding efforts as well.

Ramos got involved in relief work after Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras, his native country. He continues to collect supplies for earthquake victims. MCC will contribute 8,280 28-ounce cans of pork to the next shipment.

The other half of the February aid shipment was distributed by MCC workers in conjunction with local partners. MCC has issued an urgent call for 5,000 more relief kits and has committed $538,460 Cdn./$350,000 U.S. for housing reconstruction. Construction has begun on the 200 to 300 homes MCC hopes to rebuild.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org