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It is a long time since I have been moved to do some serious fund raising, but I do hope that you will spend a few minutes of your time to consider the following:-
As some of you may already know I recently accompanied
my daughter Kate on her business trip to Central
America. On our 4th day in Guatemala, when we were
up in the beautiful volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan
district, we found ourselves in the midst of a collision
between a Tropical Storm coming up from the south
and Hurricane Stan from the north. The resulting
torrential rains which battered El Salvador, Guatemala
and Mexico for days on end hit Guatemala the hardest.
On the night of Tuesday October 4th the saturated
mountains, under the force of so much water, finally
began to disintegrate. This triggered numerous mudslides
that buried hundreds of people as they slept in
their beds. One was 1 mile wide and 40 feet deep,
burying an entire village and the hospital. Those
that weren't killed were left homeless with their
livelihoods ruined. Roads and bridges were washed
away, telephone and electricity gone, water polluted
and food scarce. The entire Lake Atitlan region,
itself surrounded by volcanic mountains, was completely
cut off.
Despite the relentless rainfall Kate and I awoke to an eerie silence. Our hotel was deserted, - no staff, no-one singing in the kitchen, no-one outside. Our small group of four guests and two marooned architects waited puzzled and anxious. Finally, a traumatised waiter stumbled in and the enormity of the catastrophe began to unfold.
Even as we tried to formulate a plan a loud rumble outside revealed that our own mountain at the side of the hotel was beginning to give way.
Over the next few days our little group was constantly
on the move, night and day, endeavouring to reach
safer locations. Finally, on the third day, we were
rescued by helicopter. Our rescue was due entirely
to a most courageous local guide who had walked
through mud for two days to locate us. He had brought
with him the only mobile phone capable of providing
communications outside the area. We were the first
to be flown out of the Atitlan district and our
group were the first to bring news of the catastrophe
in the mountains to the waiting reporters. At the
time of our rescue, the population of 90 other villages
were still unaccounted for.
As the enormity of the devastation was revealed, the disaster reached the International News. A UN appeal was immediately launched only to be swamped and forgotten by news of the Asian earthquake just 24 hours later.
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The school at Panabaj - a search for victims
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Main roads destroyed
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The Guatemalans, including the indigenous Maya Indians, are a charming and courteous race. Though impoverished they are proud and self-sufficient but only just recovering from the ravages of a civil war ten years ago. Cultivation and tourism were just beginning to recover. This recovery is now shattered.
We witnessed appalling grief and anguish and as
our helicopter lifted us away to the safety of our
own lives our hearts bled for all those locals left
behind to face their desolate and bleak future.
Two days later exhausted relatives gave up digging
for their loved ones and the villages were declared
mass graves. We were determined to help in some
way.
As a result, Stephen and I are planning to return to Guatemala in January. We intend to hand over personally financial aid and/or supplies. We are expecting these to be in the form of medicines, new equipment for the hospital, weaving looms, hoes and rakes, or whatever is required at that point in time. We are in communication with reliable contacts in the area who are keeping us informed of their changing needs. In particular, we are in touch with Dr. Bernadette Page who is in charge of the relocated hospital.
We have opened an account at Barclays Bank
Plc, The Square, Bishops Waltham, Southampton, Hampshire,
SO32 1GH and would appeal to all of you
reading this to consider making a donation.
Please make your cheques payable to:
"G. R. Pembroke - Guatemalan Fund Raising".
and send them directly to:
Barclays Bank
The Square
Bishops Waltham
Southampton
Hampshire
SO32 1GH
quoting: Acct. 90052027. Sort Code 20-97-01.
Stephen and I are, of course, paying for our own expenses, and we assure you that every penny you spend will go towards the rebuilding of lives in Guatemala.
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