HBI Team to Ancash - Update

(Photo: Our clinic in Kusi)

(Photo: Our great team . . . well, not everyone)

(Photo: The beautiful Union Biblica del Peru Kusi Camp in Ancash, Peru

This past week was truly a life enhancing experience. For almost 10 years I have dreamed of putting together a healthcare outreach program in Peru that was lead by Peruvian doctors and facilitated in an extremely underserved area. This past week allowed that dream to become a reality. In just under 5 days of clinic – our team of healthcare providers served almost 1,200 patients!

What made this project so unique and important was the use of Peruvian physician, dentist, psychologist and nursing staff. Peruvians caring for Peruvians has been the goal of HBI since we started working in medical outreach campaigns over 8 years ago.

In our first 4 days of clinic we operated out of a small camp run by Union Biblica del Peru in the northern district of Ancash (see: http://www.perutravels.net/peru-travel-guide/ancash-huaraz.htm). The camp, named Kusi after the local Quechuan (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechuan_languages) word for “happy,” was the perfect environment for our team to immerse themselves in the service of giving. We stayed in the dormitory houses of the camp and ate our meals with the abandon street boys from the orphanage. Each day we learned about one another, we learned about giving selflessly and we learned about working as a team. By the end of our week stay – we were a finely honed “machine;” completely dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the patients we cared for in the clinics.

A very important aspect of the clinics was the simple fact that the Peruvian care providers were extraordinarily knowledgeable about the needs of the people, the prevalence of local diseases and the access (or lack there of) to on-going care and resources. They were the true “bridge” to ensure that the people we served in our clinics gained referrals and information about ways to get their basic healthcare needs met long after our team left. The Peruvian care team was also very supportive in teaching and training our three North American providers in how to best care for Peruvian people. The team truly came together under one very important mission – serving one another and being present to the needs of those all around us.

Our last day of clinic took place in the community of Valle Sagrado in the sprawling peri-urban slum of Carabayllo (in Northern Lima; see: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distrito_de_Carabayllo). For over 4 years HBI has worked in the community of Valle Sagrado – bringing various services and medical/dental campaigns. From our first interaction with the community, our goal has been the development of sustainable programs and projects. In the spring of 2007, the community organizing committee of Valle Sagrado requested that HBI helped with three “simple things” – procurement of warm weather clothing for the children of the community, assistance in the development and staffing of a community kitchen (comedor), and the on-going delivery of medical, social and dental services through outreach campaigns.

In June of 2007, HBI delivered warm weather clothing for all of the children of Valle Sagrado (see our posting - http://hbint.blogspot.com/2007/08/carabayllo-project.html). HBI has been working with the community organizing committee of Valle Sagrado to plan and structure the development of a sustainable community kitchen. Once again during this campaign we were able to continue to facilitate our long standing promise to deliver health and medical care services. In just over 5 hours of clinic our team provided care to an astonishing 197 patients – 157 medical and psychology visits and 40 dental visits. In addition, we were able to meet with the community leaders to discuss ways to build a more sustainable infrastructure for care delivery.

Some of the ideas that were discussed in our meeting include: the development of a small healthcare post in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (with nursing staff and health promotion through locally trained health promoters), the formation of a “Health Promoter” (see: http://community.gorge.net/ncs/background/promoters.htm) training program for the area, the development of a community center and community engagement program (a comprehensive social outreach project that would include vocational training, health and hygiene education, life skills classes, and legal aid), and the construction of a water filtration/purification plant for the area.

As you can see – a great deal of ideas have come from our one week healthcare campaign. It will now be important for HBI to take these ideas and strategize toward the development of sustainable programs and projects to meet the needs of the communities we support and collaborate with. Please stay tuned to this Blog site and our webpage (http://www.hbint.org/) for on-going updates and specific ways that you can get involved in supporting the work of Health Bridges International and our in-country partners.

Thank you for your support of the work of HBI - My best, Wayne Centrone

Journey to Ancash

What started as a dream has come fully to fruition. It has been a great goal of HBI to develop projects and programs that are lead by and staffed with in-country professionals and partners. Our November outreach to the District of Ancash in Peru is just that – a Peruvian medical and dental campaign staffed with almost exclusively Peruvian providers.

The primary mission of this campaign is to support the on-going work of Union Biblica in their projects with homeless and abandon children. We will be operating out of a facility they have constructed in the hamlet community of Caraz. Our focus will be the demonstration of a clinic outreach model. The hope is that Union Biblica can secure funding from a mining consortium to develop a permanent medical center at their Kusi camp. Our role will be the demonstration of a fully effective medical and dental clinic model – so that Union Biblica can request funds. We are merely acting as a facilitator for a much bigger project that will be driven by a Peruvian non-governmental organization.

Over the next week of clinic, we expect to see some 1,000 patients - providing a broad range of medical, dental and social services. Our team is made up of 6 physicians, 4 dentists, 3 nurses, 2 pre-medical students, 1 dental student, a social worker and a law student (what an eclectic group). We hope to help to connect patients to longitudinal care in the Ancash area by working with the Ministry of Health and EsSauld (the Peruvian social security bureau). Our hope is that we can help to create a permanent “safety net” clinic for the community of Kusi and the people of Ancash. Our goal is the development of sustainable partnerships that create lasting change for underserved communities.

Please stay tuned to this Blog site for updates on our campaign and ways that you can get invovled in Health Bridges International outreach programs and projects. Thank you for your on-going support!

Colombia - An Awakening

September 22, 2007

Dear family, friends and supporters of HBI,

I just ended a whirlwind trip to Colombia – specifically my trip was to the Caribbean city of Barranquilla (for more information about this fascinating “hidden gem” of a city, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barranquilla); and, I must admit – I am a bit disappointed.

Let me explain - Colombia is an absolutely fascinating country. There is so much prosperity and strategic economic development – it seems like it should be a model for socioeconomic development for Latin America. Colombian’s have a thriving middle class and a very rich history of intellectual, artistic and cultural pursuits. At this point you are probably bracing yourself for the “but” part of my statement – well . . . please don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy visiting Colombia. In fact, I count Bogotá as one of my absolute favorite cities in the whole world. I love the Colombian people – they are sophisticated, urbane and very generous.

My issue is not with any one person or group of people, or any country for that matter – it is with the societal structures that allow abject poverty and disenfranchisement to continue in our modern age. You see, my disappointment is rooted in the number of people that I witnessed living on the “fringes” of the Barranquilla “society.” My issue is with the number of homeless people I encountered, I witnessed in my brief stay in this tropical paradise.

I had a couple of hours before my flight back to the States to walk around Barranquilla – and what I saw caused me great distress. Let me state from the very start, Colombia is a safe country for international travelers. I feel very secure exploring the streets and cafes of most cities I have visited in Colombia; and it is never a good idea to walk around a “foreign” city by yourself. With that said, I like to walk around the cities I visit. I feel it gives me a great chance to jump into the cultural equivalent of the “deep end of the pool.” I think of these walkabouts as an anthropological experiment. I can see how life really unfolds for the people making their “lives” amidst the chaos.

Barranquilla is a port city of over 2 million people (in the entire metropolitan area). There is a thriving industrial base and a few well respected universities. Barranquilla can also lay claim to the music mastery that is the global pop phenomenon Shakira (see: http://www.shakira.com/)– yes, she hails from this Caribbean paradise. I was staying at a cultural landmark – the Hotel Prado (see: http://www.cotelco.org/hotelprado/), in the downtown section of the city. During the first ten minutes of my cab ride into the city from the airport, I was amazed at the number of people living on the streets. This “amazement” was later brought to a real angst when I ventured out on my walk.

My walk consisted of a leisurely (make that a sweaty) stroll lasting about 2 hours – through "good" and "not-so-good" sections of the city. Yet, wherever I went I witnessed people living on the streets. People lying on the sidewalks, people curled up in card board boxes, people standing with blank stares. People living on the margins of this society. People living amongst the mass of humanity, but invisible to the eyes of so many passersby.

As many of you know, I am very much attuned to the plight of homelessness and disenfranchised people. I have spent my entire professional career working with homeless young adults. Perhaps this is why I saw so many marginalized peoples? Perhaps the Caribbean climate of Barranquilla makes it “easier” to live outside? I am not above a biased thought or two, but this homeless “epidemic” seemed a bit above the average for what I have witnessed in other Latin American cities.

Now, as I write this journal entry from the seat of the plane that is carrying me back to Portland, I wonder what messages I can take back from my experiences. I wonder what steps HBI can take, can implement, to help build bridges for some of the most marginalized citizens of Barranquilla and other developing country cities. I know that my first response (emotion driven response) is to want to “jump in” and develop a homeless drop-in center, perhaps even partner with the Colombian government to develop a street outreach program that works to bring people from the streets to a center where they can receive social service advocacy. I don’t know that this is the best way to approach homelessness in Colombia. It may be more profound to invest in the development of a systematic model to delve into the numerous factors that lead to marginalization. A program that is sustainable, culturally appropriate and based on the needs, desires and wishes of the people who are most impacted by the program – the homeless.

What we are trying to do at Health Bridges International is bring creativity, pragmatism and collaboration to everything we are involved with. Our next steps in Colombia may be as simple as researching the current state of outreach and assistance to the homeless in Barranquilla and working to support these efforts. Whatever we do, it will be driven by our deep respect for God’s plan and the belief that partnerships are the basis for sustainability.

I am profoundly impacted by my experiences in Colombia – and I know that we at HBI will be lead to use that impact to bring hope to “invisible” members of our society.

Thank you for reading about the work of HBI; and thank you for your continued support.

Blessings,

Wayne Centrone
HBI Board President

The Relief Works Goes On

In our attempt to keep you continuously up-to-date on the latest news from Peru, Posted below is another fantastic and informative update from our partners Union Biblica del Peru (see: http://www.unionbiblicaperu.org/):

"September 12, 2007

Hello again,

A good number of you have been to Ica with us and will probably remember the trip to the Ballesta Islands and the beautiful Hotel Paracas from which we departed on the boats. That hotel is no longer. It crumbled during the two minute long earthquake and only minutes later were covered by the 20 ft. tidal wave. Perhaps from bits and pieces left, they can rebuild. Who knows?

You will be happy to know that our Ica well is working to capacity and with monies received the water truck continues giving away this precious commodity which people have little of at best of times.

Some of you will remember having been, or having heard of Cachiche, the home to renowned witchdoctors and center of demon worship- There is no evangelical church there. The priest closed down the Catholic Church. You will recall the palm tree with seven heads, the unscheduled porno play 10 year old kids put on in their school for a work team we took there and where we started an S.U. meeting.

The earthquake tore the place apart. I asked Marco whether he and his team felt brave and confident enough to open an emergency feeding center there if asked to. It took him, not two seconds to say ‘claro que sí’ (‘of course').

So I consulted with Willie McPherson, Executive Director of our partners, the Vine Trust of Scotland, to see whether they would allow us to ‘stretch’ the $50,000 they had sent for the 4 soup kitchens in order to add a 5th. His immediate response was met by great enthusiasm by Marco Cordova, our Ica-Pisco staff worker in charge of our Relief Efforts. (See picture of Marco in red shirt). 100 more kids from no less than Cachiche! Praise God!

I need to make a few clarifications. In Scripture Union we are all encouraged to be very careful about the facts we give out. That is why you often get a polite, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t really know’ when you ask for statistics. I quoted our local newspaper in giving 253,000 as the number of homeless. Last night I heard the BBC broadcast report ‘over 200,000’ so I now question the accuracy of my first report. Actually, I never know how people come up with any of these numbers. Guesstimates, I should imagine.

Second correction: My first report gave 8.0 as the magnitude of the earthquake. We now know that on the Richter scale it was 7.9.

It is good to see some of our older and now trusted abandoned boys assisting in the Rescue-Relief efforts. They have the inside track on suffering, so are well suited for the part they play. I will be going to Ica this week and hopefully will be able to send you more up-to-date photos afterwards.

Thanks again for your support during this time!

Paul & Marty"

HBI's commitment is to build support for our in-country partners as they settle in for the "long haul" of community re-building and program development. You may make a donation to the work of HBI at http://www.hbint.org/ - all the funds will go to support the work of NGOs helping Peruvian citizens.

Thank you for your prayers and commitment to the people of Peru - the work of rebuilding has only just begun!

An Update from Peru - The Relief Work

Posted below is another update from our partner organization Union Biblica Del Peru (Scripture Union in English). Union Biblica has been working extensively in the earthquake torn regions of Pisco and Canete to bring relief and basic services to those displaced by the disaster. Their work is a "grass roots" movement and relies strongly on independent donors and church giving.

HBI has recently raised over $2,000 that will be sent to Union Biblica for their efforts with communities that have been disrupted and displaced by the earthquake. Our goal is to raise more than $10,000 to send to Union Biblica and another $15,000 to be used for the development of water purification efforts in the region.

An update from Paul and Marty Clark of Union Biblica del Peru:

"Dear Friends,

Here are a few photos (HBI Note: see above) of the way parts of Chincha, Ica, and all of Pisco have remained since August 15th. In 2 of the pictures, you can see just what one after another street looks like. Then, the one with the blue plastic is what remains of Alan's house. Then, you can see in the distance one of our 30 tents we gave away being used. The last 2 show children who are being fed - 2 good meals a day - at our 'soup kitchens'.

Just an hour ago I had a phone call from Marco, our schools' worker in Ica who is in charge of the distribution of food. He asked permission to move one of the four feeding centers, because the bulldozers have come into the area to remove the rubble. The Government is, I believe, in spite of the news contrary to this, doing its best. There always has been corruption here, and so it is sad, but not surprising to see donated food and clothing being sold.

As I mentioned previously, thieves on the rampage constitute one of the major post-earthquake problems. Our Board chairman has a relative in Pisco. He was lying, totally trapped in the heavy debris of his home. Only his head was free. He saw a thief come by looting. He pleaded for help and told the man that if he freed him, he could have the money he had in his pocket. The thief removed the bricks, etc., helped himself to the money and left the victim motionless. His spine is broken in two places, is totally paralyzed and will, if he survives, be so for life.

It is good to see 400 children being fed, very sad to hear their stories, comforting to know that, although we can never fully understand, our God does not make mistakes. His will be done, and thank you for being part of what is being done here as you enable us to reach out.

As ever,

Paul & Marty"

The work of providing support and hope to the regions most effected by the earthquake has just begun - and you can help. If you would like to donate to the Earthquake Relief Fund of HBI - please go to http://www.hbint.org/donate/money.php

Thank you for your time, your energy and your commitment to the people of Peru. God Bless.

Quote for the Day

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means."

- Albert Einstein

Thought for the Day

"People say, 'What good can one person do? What is the sense of our small effort?' They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time. We can be responsible only for the one action of the present moment. But we can beg for an increase of love in our hearts that will vitalize and transform all our individual actions, and know that God will take them and multiply them, as Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes."

- Dorothy Day (from Loaves and Fishes)

Fundraising Efforts

Earthquake relief efforts and independent fundraising campaigns are cropping up all over North America to help the victims of the earthquake in Peru. From Mercy Corps (See: http://www.mercycorps.org/topics/emergencies/1798) to Medical Teams International (See: http://www.nwmedicalteams.org/site/PageServer) - but perhaps the most impressive efforts are on the part of Peruvian ex-pats working for their Peruvian brothers and sisters.

Just a couple of the great events are listed below.

Andina Restaurant - one of Portland's premiere dinning experiences (see: http://www.andinarestaurant.com/) - is holding a fundraising dinner.

When: Sunday, September 2, 2007 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Bar Mestizo is open for cocktails and tapas from 4:00 p.m. to midnight.

Where: Andina Restaurant 1314 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209. Reservations: 503-228-9535

Event Description: In response to the 8.0 earthquake in Peru, The Andina Restaurant has teamed up with Mercy Corps. The Platt-Rodriguez family will donate 10% of net dinner sales at Andina, named 2005 Restaurant of the Year by the Oregonian, on Sunday, Sept. 2 to Mercy Corps' Peru Earthquake response.

"We are concerned about the well being of all the people who live and work in Peru, especially the regions of Pisco and Chinca, which were devastated by the earthquake," said Peter Platt, son of Doris Rodriguez de Platt, who owns Andina with her family. "This benefit is our way to do what we can to help others in our native country."

More Information: Please contact The Andina Restaurant at (503) 228-9535 for reservations or book online at: www.AndinaRestaurant.com.

The Mission of Alto Cayma and Father Alex Busuttil (along with his congregation in Alto Cayma, Peru) are also creating a fundraising drive - amongst some of the poorest citizens of Latin America. From an e-mail report posted by Jim Hintz:

"Dear Friends of Alto Cayma,Father Alex has done a masterful job of organizing the people of Alto Cayma to come to the aid of their stricken countrymen in nearby Ica/Pisco/Chincha. Neighborhood by neighborhood, Ada¡n and a crew of volunteers are going house to house to collect donated clothing and food.

Not only that, Father Alex has challenged the people, poor as they are, to contribute 2.50 soles (about 75 cents U.S.) per family in cash. He expects 6,000 families to respond, which will provide enough money to buy 6 tons of rice.When I heard what these poor people are doing, I couldn't help but think of us from the exterior, the "Serving Alto Cayma family".

This message (and the weekly Reports) goes to 300 addressees. If each one were to contribute $20, we could raise $6,000 to turn over to Father Alex to supplement what he's already doing. Of course, I know that not all 300 are going to contribute, because you are already doing so much in so many areas, but if 40% of us could contribute $50 each we could achieve the same end result.Many of you have already responded, for which we thank you.

For those of you who have not yet participated and would like to do so, please make your check out to Advent Peru Mission Support Fund, with Earthquake Relief on the memo line, and mail the check to Susan Hartsell, 1025 Autumnwood Lane, Charlotte, NC 28213"

As always - anyone interested in making a tax deductible donation to the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund" can donate on-line at: http://www.hbint.org/donate/on-line-giving.php. The money we receive through your generous contributions will go to support Peruvian and International NGOs providing relief and comfort directly to the victims of the earthquake. In addition, your donations will go toward the support and development of long-term, sustainable community development projects in areas hardest hit by the earthquake.

Please send an e-mail to Info@HBInt.org indicating that you have made a donation towards the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund." Thank you for your continued support!

An Update from Billy Clark at Union Biblica del Peru

We just received another update from our partner in Peru, Union Biblica. This update comes to us from Billy Clark and illustrates how "random" the destruction and devastation from the earthquake was.

As the dust just begins to settle, the people of Peru need our prayers and warm wishes more than ever.

Billy Clark writes in an e-mail to family and friends:

"God´s blessings are often followed by opportunities to bless others. Last Wednesday I had returned home early. A star intern had suggested I spend a few moments with Yashmín and the girls. She would take the work team to dinner and on to the airport.

It was strange but we were happy. Hope bounced on my knees. Faith danced her favorite salsa in a pink fairy tale gown and Grace sat across the room pretending to read a picture less chapter on pre-Columbian textiles. Yashmín smiled.

Suddenly, the windows rumbled. A windy day? A truck passing by? Something fell in the bathroom. I turned to Yashmín. She winked at me but fear had replaced a twinkle in here eye.

Grace looked up. “What´s that?”

“What,” said Faith, “I´m dancing”

“Come baby”, I said. I held Hope, her white finger tips pressing against my neck.

“Es un terremoto, mi amor”, said Yashmín (It´s an earthquake) in a calm voice as we locked eyes and moved carefully toward the stairs.

The garden would be safer, or the seismic-proof doorway, which was as far as we got.

Two minutes after that first rumble and it was all over. We huddled for a moment and then life resumed.

**********

7.9 at the epicenter and only two hours from us, my friend Alan stood in the street. By the time he had made it to the pavement the solid mud walls and thatched roof of his house collapsed. Within 120 seconds he was homeless.

He stood with his family, but his story is very different than mine. No house to return to, no books to read or dancing. He will wake to face tomorrow in a lonely park of strangers, beneath a tent. Hungry, he will ration his food for later, thirsty he will swallow hard. He will pray and he will wait.

**********

Rescue efforts are challenged by fallen bridges and swallowed up roads. Our government has created an “air bridge” to send in emergency aid. Our dead can be buried but our wounded must be helped. Getting to Alan will not be easy. Through common friends we have reached him with a bit of money, some food and water. We have old camp tents that can be used and we will draw up plans to rebuild.

Hard to imagine someone I work with so closely losing so much. Pray for Alan and for his family and for the hard days ahead."

Anyone interested in making a tax deductible donation to the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund" can donate on-line at: http://www.hbint.org/donate/on-line-giving.php

Please send an e-mail to Info@HBInt.org indicating that you have made a donation towards the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund." Thank you for your continued support!

An Update from Union Biblica del Peru

An update from our Peruvian partner organization Union Biblica del Peru (Image from REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil) -

"Dear friends,

Over 500 dead, approximately 253,000 people left homeless as 45,000 buildings and houses collapsed in last Wednesday's major Earthquake (8,0 magnitude. Duration: 2 full minutes). Construction is of large, heavy adobe mud brick high walls, so it has not been easy to remove the rubble to get out the bodies. 80% of Pisco (population 125,000) destroyed. 90% of businesses in Ica affected. Many of you have stayed in the Hotel Sol de Ica when you were here on a work team. Its two top floors - both front building overlooking the street and the one over the pool, crashed to the ground. Just yesterday they recovered 40 bodies from another hotel. And so it goes.

Linda went to Chincha with a van full of water in bottles. The people crushed against the windows begging. They were desperate. Heaps of rubble, no food, no sewage for the few who ever had it, but worst of all, no water to drink. I have been wondering how I’d react under similar stress. Looting is rife. Trucks and buses coming through are being assaulted. People who never imagined that they would act this way are joining in these things. Would I be one of them? Before I answer the question, I must realize that I have never been there. So people no longer feel safe, especially because the prison collapsed and over 600 inmates escaped. Most of them were there on charges of robbery. I just got a phone call from Abdon in Kawai asking for help in security for our boys in Casa Girasoles, as armed robbers are in the vicinity.

The Vine Trust of Scotland is sponsoring four soup kitchens, each for 100 children: One in Ica, One in Chincha and two in Pisco. We are once again immensely grateful for help from them and from others of you who are responding with prayer backing and money.

The world will soon forget. The international media will have other things to report. Even here, there will be instant solidarity, but it too will rapidly fade. The thousands of homeless will live their tragedy for a long time to come.

The good news is that like others, we too in Union Biblica are being helped by folk like you to do something about it:

- Construction at Kawai, save for fallen walls, has been suspended. The work team there will at their request, be deployed to the disaster area to help clear up rubble, assist in our feeding centers, etc.
- Water now flows from our well in Ica. Some is given away right there from the swimming pool. More is taken and being delivered by water trucks to more distant places in the desert.
- Our 30 tents have been given away and are now providing shelter for victims.
- Our Schools staff and Street Boy staff are joining forces in the 4 feeding centers.
- The Parish Church of Cupar Old and St. Michael of Tarvit in Scotland are building our home for street boys in Ica. This was to be completed by early 2009, but the Vine Trust has advanced the funds to be able to move ahead now in order to open the home in early 2008 with boys we come across through our Feeding Centers.

I'm not sure at this point how many of the 24 schools where we work in the area have fallen (all 5 in Pisco did), but all have been closed down, so Marco and his volunteers are free to work in our Emergency program, guaranteeing that all 400 children hear the Gospel. As Elaine Duncan of the Scottish Bible Society reminded us, others will join us in the relief area, but only Christians can share the Good News.

Once again, a big thank you to all who are helping at this crucial time. The earthquake lasted two minutes, but the great need will continue for some time to come.

Paul and Marty"

Please keep your prayers and good wishes flowing!

The Rebuilding Has Just Started

One week has now passed since the magnitude 8.0 (measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale) earthquake rattled the southern coast of Peru. As aid groups struggle to deliver food, blankets, and water to the areas hardest hit - the people of Pisco, Ica, Canete and Mala continued to be blasted by aftershocks (over 300 tremors have affected the area in the last week). The latest was a 4.7 magnitude aftershock that sparked panic among people lining up to leave the town of Pisco by air or by bus on Monday, the day the rescue effort officially ended and bulldozers began removing mountains of rubble.

It has been reported that Peruvians are paying as much as $40 (USD) for a one-way bus ticket out of Pisco - a fare that normally costs $7 (USD). Price gouging, corruption, gang related fear and rampant violence - these are the REAL issues that are acutely pressing on the Garcia Administration; an administration that is under fire for there reported unorganized approach to aid distribution. A spokeswoman for the World Food Program, Christiane Berthiaume, says it is difficult to get aid to the survivors because roads are bad, traffic is heavy and a major bridge leading to the quake-hit city of Pisco is damaged. Nevertheless, she says more food and other aid is getting in and being distributed.

President Garcia announced the start of fumigation operations across the town of Pisco to head off diseases before they turn into possible epidemics, and more than 1,000 police and soldiers were deployed to halt the looting that has sown fear among the battered population. It has been reported that plans are in the works to provide temporary lodgings for the mostly poor families whose rudimentary adobe and brick homes had come crashing down. Permanent relocation efforts are being developed - but who knows where the money will come from to house the estimated 180,000 homeless people.

On a separate note of hope and a pure show of Andean solidarity - the Taiwan Times noted that Bolivian President Evo Morales and his vice president pledged half their salaries to the earthquake victims, while Cabinet ministers gave one-quarter of their wages. In addition, an Israeli delegation of physicians and health care professionals are on their way to Peru to provide medical and technical assistance to the people affected by the quake. Finally, a team from the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT) is sending 31 volunteer veterinarians and technicians to the country next week to treat Peruvians' wounded animal companions.

A generous outpouring of support and assistance has come from all around the globe. The true test of our commitment to help the people of Peru will be in 8-12 months when the aid agencies are long gone and the real work of community development is underway.

HBI's commitment is to build support for our in-country partners as they settle in for the "long haul" of community re-building and program development. You may make a donation to the work of HBI at http://www.hbint.org/ - all the funds will go to support the work of NGOs helping Peruvian citizens.

Thank you for your prayers and commitment to the people of Peru - the work of rebuilding has only just begun!

Request for Donations

HBI is working to provide relief to Peruvians adversely impacted by the recent earthquake.

HBI will make donations to other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to provide relief and assistance to communities hardest hit by this disaster. The actual expenditure of funds will be subject to the HBI Board's discretion - so that funds are dedicated to earthquake relief efforts and do not duplicate efforts by other NGOs.

In addition, HBI is seeking donations to help with long range community development through our partner organizations working in Ica, Canete, Pisco and Mala. The goal of HBI in this time of great need is to support the acute disaster response efforts of other NGOs and to help build future programs and projects through our in-country partners like Union Biblica del Peru, the Anglican Church of Peru, the Mission of Alto Cayma and the Peruvian NGO "Serviendo Logrando Paz."

Anyone interested in making a tax deductible donation to the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund" can donate on-line at: http://www.hbint.org/donate/on-line-giving.php

Please send an e-mail to Info@HBInt.org indicating that you have made a donation towards the HBI "Earthquake Relief Fund." Thank you for your continued support!

Looting, Hunger and Civil Unrest

(Photo: RICARDO MAZALAN/AP Wire Service)

Few buildings still stand in the town of Pisco, one of the areas most strongly affected by Wednesdays earthquake. According to President Alan Garcia 80,000 people have lost loved ones, homes or both. Equally compelling is the loss of order that seems to be spreading throughout the region.

President Garcia predicted that "a situation approaching normality" would return in 10 days, but acknowledged that reconstruction would take far longer. In the interim, the Garcia administration is sending hundreds of reinforcement troops to the southern cites of Ica, Canete, Pisco and Chincha. As the days pass from the immediate impact of the mighty quake, people are desperate to get their basic needs met.

A lack of access to potable water (aid agencies report that nearly 80% of the people in the earthquake zone do not have access to clean water), food and shelter are creating a "mob like" mentality in the region. Add to this complex situation the fact that nearly 600 criminal offenders (authorities were still trying to trace the where about of some 600 criminal offenders - reportedly including rapists and murderers - who escaped from the Tambo de Mora prison in Chincha Alta during the earthquake) are on the streets of Chincha and the surrounding communities - and the situation is rather grime.

News agencies have been reporting broad spread looting and "gang" activity. People desperate for food and water are taking to the streets as the Peruvian government works to quell the spread of any potential epidemic diseases, bring basic necessities to the devastated areas, and restore hope to a battered people. The next few days will be very important for the Peruvian government - as the people of the quake zone will strongly look to Garcia and his cabinet to ensure order and deliver on his promises of creating "normality" in the region.

Meanwhile in the heart of all of the chaos, the search for survivors continues on many fronts. British experts in disaster response lead by Mr. Paul Wooster, coordinator of the Rapid UK rescue team, told the Toronto Star New Service that rescuers were using sound detectors and infrared cameras to search for survivors. The latest survivor discovered, a man, was pulled from the rubble at midday Friday. However, as time passes, the hope of finding more survivors becomes smaller and smaller.

Please help to keep hope alive by praying for the people of Peru.

Internatioanl Aid for Peru: Help is on the Way

(Photo taken from AP Wire Service)

A look at some of the international aid efforts currently reported for relief efforts in Peru following Wednesday's magnitude-8 earthquake:

After an extensive "donors conference" on Friday (attended by multi-national organizations and governments) - it should be noted that Peru has received 40 million dollars in international aid to help with relief efforts, the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI) said Friday.

The amount includes 5 million dollars in funds and humanitarian aid received since the quake, and another 5 million dollars granted at a meeting of international donors on Friday in Lima and 30 million dollars offered by the United Nations, APCI President Agustin Haya de la Torre said.

International Red Cross: Sending two planeloads of tents, water, other supplies; giving $205,000 from emergency fund for victims.

United Nations: Officials say they have mobilized almost $30 million in aid from several U.N. agencies.

European Community: Announces at least $1.34 million contribution to international aid agencies for Peru.

Colombia: Flying in 20 tons of water, medicine, blankets and other aid, 20 rescue workers.

Brazil: Sending medicine, food and tents.

Chile: Sending medicine, food and tents.

Catholic Church (Caritas): Peru's Catholic Church is organizing humanitarian aid for thousands of victims by collecting donations of food, water and blankets and channeling financial assistance to the affected region.

United States: There are two USAID disaster response officials in Peru, and a third is en route to study what aid is needed, the State Department said. The Navy said it would be prepared to send the hospital ship Comfort, staffed with hundreds of doctors, if asked. In addition, the U.S. has released over $150K to be used for immediate relief.

Italy: Giving $268,100 to the Red Cross to help distribute emergency medical kits, tents and other aid to quake victims. U.N. World Food Program: Sending $500,000 of food already in country to quake victims and preparing other shipments.

Union Biblica del Peru: Union Biblica has taken on a humanitarian mission of their own; delivering tents, blankets, food and support to the areas hardest hit by the earthquake. To keep this project alive, Union Biblica needs monetary support. I urge anyone who can - to donate to the good work of Union Biblica.

Source: Associated Press and e-mail messages from friends in Peru

Earthquake Update from Union Biblica

In the wee hours of the night - we received an update from our friends and long term collaborative partners Union Biblica. The message, written by the Director of Union Biblica del Peru Paul Clark and his wife Marty, is pasted below:

"Dear friends all over the world!

How grateful we are for friends like you! During the past 24 hours, we have received more than 60 e-mails asking for news and assuring us of your prayers. We have also received phone calls from 10 of you who were able to make connection. We know that several others tried to no avail. The phones are working for periods of time and then they are cut again. We want to assure you that we personally along with Phoebe, our granddaughter, are safe as well as Billy, our son, and his family. It was quite frightening at the time as it lasted for 2 minutes which is quite long for an earthquake. Since then we have had dozens of aftershocks (tremors). All schools were closed today and Peru, especially from Lima towards the south to Ica, has been declared in a state of emergency.

The epicenter of the 8.0 earthquake that we experienced at 6:40 p.m. yesterday (August 15) was near the city of Pisco (100 plus miles south of Lima), along the Nazca Fault Line that runs along our Pacific Coast. It is estimated that 80% of the city was destroyed. The death count has passed the 500 mark and is steadily rising.

Some of you will remember Ica, the city in the dry desert where water is always scarce. Today, with the old pipelines shattered, there is no water. God has blessed us with one of the few wells in Ica. We have opened the gates and people are coming in to fill their pails with water from our pool. There is no electricity in the town at this time, so we cannot activate the 150 foot deep well. Once we can, we'll keep the water flowing. Our 5 Ica camp tents are being used by S.U. volunteers whose houses have collapsed. No damage was done to any of our buildings that are under construction for a new street boys' home and campsite.

The bridge between Lima and Ica has collapsed and meager help is therefore slow to get through. Our local news is full of pictures of people in the rubble beside dead bodies, quite lost as to knowing what to do. Having asked ourselves 'what would Jesus do?', we have decided to give away our Kawai tents, used in our camping season (Jan.-Mar) People out in the open, need help now. Marco Cordova (Ica staff worker) will receive them from us at the bridge and assures us he can get them over to those who need them.

Jose Principe (Pepe) is our staff worker in Arequipa. He is safe, but huge, thick adobe walls crashed in his home near Ica.

Several of you have asked about Kawai. Rosa, Raul and the 30 abandoned boys, some of them badly frightened, gathered in front of Casa Girasoles to sing and pray. Our Lord quieted them. No major damage was done there.

Abdon and Hermenegilda's house will have to be torn down. Severely damaged, it was on the verge of collapsing. This poses an immense financial problem for us. They have been moved to Villa Margarita for the moment.

Sadly, parts of the stained glass window of the Kawai Chapel is broken. But, we praise God for no loss of life.

40 feet of the southern boundary wall fell down and will have to be rebuilt.

We do not yet know the condition of the 48 schools we work in throughout that area nor details of the four and a half thousand children who are in our Christian Value classes.

Last minute: even as this letter is being written, Linda (our schools National Director) phoned in tears. Those of you who have worked in the schools near Kawai and Mala, will remember Alan, our staff worker. He lives with his sister, mother and grandmother in Chincha. Their house is now completely gone - a mound of earth and broken adobes covering their belongings. Linda and Moises, her husband, will leave tomorrow at 6 a.m. taking with them some supplies and particularly water, of which Alan has none. They, like others, have not had water for more than 24 hours now.

Many of you asked: What can we do? What do you need? Let us know how we can help. I would like to be of assistance if I can from this distance. Can we help? Anything we foreign supporters can do to help? Please let us know if we can help in anyway. Please let us know of any additional needs.

So, we have made a list that you might be able to help towards. Obviously, you cannot send blankets, warm clothing, nor food which is being collected here in Lima through some of the churches and civic organizations . . . but, at this moment, we need:

* House for Abdon (good construction, not adobe) $20,000.
* Help for Alan $5,000
* 30 tents for Kawai to replace those being given @$90 each
* 40 ft. of wall @$40 per ft. $1,600

Donations from the U.K. can be sent to S.U. (scripture Union) England for their Peru account earmarked for the project you would like to participate in. From the U.S., a personal check can be made out to Union Biblica del Peru and sent to:

Union Biblica del Peru
% Paul Clark
Apartado 3159
Lima 1, Peru

The check needs to state in the memo section how you want it used.

We have a work team from S.U. England in Kawai until Saturday. The Oak Hall (England) team that arrived last night spent their first day in Chosica due to the road to Kimo being covered with rocks and debris. They have been clearing it today and tomorrow, the bus will take off with the group of 23 for the jungle. Another team from New York is in Kusi, so the work goes on in the midst of earthquakes!! "

As more information is made available, HBI will post updates to this Blog. Once again, please join me in praying for the people of Peru. They must know that they are not alone!

Pray for the People of Peru

Over 24-hours have elapsed since the initial reports of a devas-tating earthquake In Peru reached the Internet airwaves. I was sitting in our kitchen with a young Peruvian physician (visiting Portland with his U.S. medical student girlfriend) - when a casual perusal of the Google News web page turned into a marathon run of information gathering (please note: the picture shown in this Blog post is credited to Sergio Urday/European Pressphoto Agency and appeared in the New York Times on-line news source).

Ernesto and I listened to web-casts and phoned family and friends in Lima until we were satisfied that we had gathered enough information to know that what we were seeing and reading on web based news pages was accurate and "real." He and I both prayed that his family and all of our beloved friends in Lima and Peru were safe and unharmed.

Now - one day later - as more news is percolating from the southern Peru cities of Canete, Mala, Ica and Pisco, the true impact of the event is starting to sink-in. For these barren coastal communities, where HBI and the Christ Church Parish of Lake Oswego, Oregon have worked for over 10 years, are some of the poorest communities in Peru. The devastation and destruction they have experienced will be particularly hurt-felt to there economies and the future prosperity of the region.

Most of the reported dead were in the Ica region, which emergency workers said appeared to be the area that was hardest hit. Many people were killed in the rubble of their homes, and some 300 people were in a famous Ica cathedral when it collapsed under the tremendous strain of the immense quake. Many more people were, in a flash of second, made homeless and financially destitute. Emergency workers have said that the overall death toll from the earthquake might be even greater than initial assumed. As many news agencies have pointed out on there Internet news pages - it is too early to tell how "crippling" this tragedy will be to Peru.

In addition to the killed and injured, the Peruvian Center of Emergency Operations for Civil Defense has gone on record as saying that more than 16,500 people have been displaced or otherwise affected by the earthquake. Having spent a significant amount of my time in Peru in this southern corridor of communities, I am particularly impacted to know that this desperately impoverished region has been hit with yet another tragedy. I know that the resourcefulness and dedication of the Peruvian people will allow them to re-build their lives after this tragic event; and, I also know that it seems enormously unfair that an area that has already suffered through so much should have to deal with such a great disaster.

I will pray tonight that the people of Peru know that they are not alone. I will pray that God will bless and comfort these beautiful communities as they only just begin to come to terms with the devastation that has unfolded before them.

Health Bridges International will continue to work with Union Biblica del Peru in the communities of Mala, Asia and Ica - in fact, it appears that our most important work has just begun.

The Death Toll and Devastation Continue to Increase

Latest updates as reported by Reuters News Agency and the BBC indicate that over 450 Peruvian's have lost their lives in the tragic magnitude-8 earthquake. The quake has devastated Southern cities on the coast - cities who have a primary construction material of adobe and brick.

It has been reported that survivors wearing blankets against the winter cold walked like ghosts through the ruins. The United Nations reports that dozens of bodies lay beneath bloodstained sheets at damaged hospitals where doctors are struggling to help more than 1,500 injured victims of crush injuries and quake related trauma. Reports from the Forbes Website indicate that hundreds of patients are being "staged" on cots and in walkways outside the hospitals in the coastal cities, fearing more aftershocks would send the structures crashing down.

The center of the destruction was in Peru's southern desert - specifically in the oasis city of Ica (a community where Union Biblica del Peru has a orphanage and mission camp). The coastal port of Pisco, about 125 miles southeast of the capital, Lima, was also strongly impacted by the quake and the after tremors. Humanitarian relief and aid is being carried out by OxFam, the International Red Cross and the Peruvian Governments Disaster Relief Teams. Physicians, nurses and health care professionals have been bused to the southern cities of Ica and Pisco to help with patient care and community stabilization.

It is not known at this time how many lives have been lost in this tragic event - but one thing is certain, the people of Peru need our warm wishes and prayers . . . now more than ever.

Earthquake Update

As the death toll continues to rise in one of the largest earthquakes in Latin American history (recently upgraded to 8.0), word from our friends in Mala is quite good - please see below:

Marty Clark from Union Biblica del Peru writes - "the 30 boys along with Rosa and Raul are fine at Kawai. Frightened, but safe. Abdon's house is quite cracked and with another hard shake might fall down. Tomorrow, we will go and find out. We THINK that Alan's house in Chincha fell, but we need to confirm that. Pepe (another school's worker) lost 2 walls of his house. We are trying to find out about Ica, but the phone lines are down in many places...so we don't know too much."

Word from Arequipa and the Alto Cayma project is also good. Jim Hintz reports - "I know that many of you are worried about the earthquake that occurred in southern Peru yesterday evening. Fortunately for us in Arequipa, we felt it but it didn't do any major damage. Telephone and internet service was affected, however, so I couldn't respond to any messages last night. As you know, the quake was centered near Ica, which is between here and Lima but much closer to Lima, and the damage there was much greater even than in Lima. We have visitors, Bob and Betty Edelen, who are headed this way, but they had not left the States at the time the quake hit."

Please continue to keep our friends and the people of Peru in your thoughts and prayers. More information to follow.

Earthquake Rocks Coastal Towns of Peru

A reported 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Peru (just south of Lima the capital city) on the evening of August 15 as Limenos prepared to go home from work. The quake, the largest to strike L. America in decades is reported to have killed hundreds and injured thousands. Many more Peruvians have been displaced from their homes in areas outside of Lima and in the cities of Pisco, Chincha and Ica.

HBI works in collaboration with our Peruvian partner Union Biblica just north of the town of Ica. Union Biblica, a faith based social service organization, runs a home for homeless boys and a camp for community development just outside of the town of Mala. At this hour no information is available regarding the Union Biblica Kawai property or the damage experienced in the town of Mala.

As more information is made available, HBI will post updates on our partner organizations and the Peruvian people who are so dear to our hearts. Please keep the people of Peru in your thoughts and prayers.

Outreach Trip In October

Health Bridges International will be leading a small team to the District of Ancash in northern Peru during the month of October of 2007. We will be partnering with Union Biblica del Peru to bring outreach medical services to a small orphanage for homeless boys. Our clinic will be run in partnership with Peruvian physicians and a local public school.

If you are a physician (primary care - IM, FP, Peds, Gyn) - please request further information, by contacting us at info@HBInt.org

The Carabayllo Project

For the past four years HBI has been working with a small community in the northern Lima district of Carabayllo. Carbayllo is a sprawling "pueblos jovenes" that includes over 1 million people - many of whom are living in desperate poverty. A great number of the residents of Lomas de Carabayllo survive on less than $2.00 (USD) per day.

Their primary source of income is the recycling of garbage and industrial waste. A major issue facing the community is the open pit incineration of industrial plastics and automobile batteries. Through the liberation of lead in the incineration process, many of the children living in the Lomas de Carabayllo area have suffered extensive adverse health affects (see: http://www.latinamericapress.org/article.asp?IssCode=&lanCode=1&artCode=4729). Overwhelmingly, the greatest need is a more formal plan for reducing the amount of lead exposure and intoxication. Equally compelling is the need for a more concerted treatment and laboratory tracking program in the community.

HBI has worked with the community of Valle Sagrado in Carabayllo to address the issues of lead exposure and illness - today, the community is free of open pit incineration andsoil contamination. Treatment and surveillance programs have been initiated by government sponsored programs. And the people of Valle Sagrado are working to build a more sustainable mechanism for employment and community development.

In June of 2007, HBI helped to bring desperately needed winter clothing to over 140 children living in Valle Sagrado. Locally purchased track suits and warm weather clothing were distributed to every child in the community as per the request of community leaders. Future outreach and program development in Carabayllo will be directed by the community and their self selected leaders. Our goal in working with the community of Carabayllo is to help them reach their stated goals through building "bridges" to resources and needed infrastructure.

Container shipment to Peru

A container filled with medical equipment, durable supplies, clothing, and water filtration equipment is being shipped down to the community of Alto Cayma. Bishop Rich Monnie and members of his family and church congregation have worked to make this very needed project a reality. The shipment will be on its way to the Port of Callao in the next week and should be in the community of Alto Cayma in the next month.

HBI hopes this is the first of many containers that will be shipped to communities of need to supply them with equipment for building change.

Many thanks goes to Bishop Monnie!

New Website for HBI

Today is a big day for HBI. Our new website is up and running. Many thanks must be directed to CopperMoon Web Design and Development. Vicki and her team have been fantastic! We owe them a great deal of thanks for their patience and continued guidance.

Please stay tuned to our Blog and to the HBI website for updates on our travels, events, projects and developments.

Our first Blog

Welcome to the First Blog of Health Bridges International.

We hope to keep you all informed as to what we are doing and look forward to hearing from you.

If you have any ideas about how to make this blog more exciting or useful please send us an e-mail and give us your feedback. We look foward to hearing from you. (info@hbint.org)

Happy Blogging

Stacy Hall
Secretary; Board of Directors