On April 16, 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Coast of Ecuador. The earthquake had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII and devastated many small towns around the provinces of Manabà and Esmeraldas. Even though this natural disaster left these towns in ruins, the Ecuadorian people came together to help the survivors find recovery.
Often times the media talks only about the casualties and wreckage of the event and it fails to mention the aid movement that was sparked by this tragedy. I like to call this the "Miracle Movement". I, first hand, was one of the members of my community who actively encouraged people to help. For those who only heard about the earthquake, here's a description of what has happened since and I could not be more proud.
Students For Ecuador (Studying Abroad):
Ecuadorian students studying abroad formed online platforms for fundraising. All of the funds were donated straight to the affected areas in order to make sure they got all the help they needed. Students that created these aid platforms come from the following universities: American University, Manhattanville College, Emory University, Penn State University, Fordham University, Penn State University, University of Southern California, George Washington University, College of Charleston, The University of Virginia, Universidad de Navarra, among others. Combining all of the funds raised a few days after the earthquake there was a total of $72,600 which were used independently to buy new resources for help.
Students For Ecuador (Local):
Every school in the country started a collection of donations which included basic hygiene products, food, water, clothes, tents, and among other materials to help the people in need. Both private and public schools collected these donations every day and sent them in caravans to the affected towns. Since many people got severe wounds from the earthquake, local universities gathered med students and sent medical brigades to help those in need. Also, the rubble and lack of water started causing diseases in the affected areas, so the students were in charge of keeping people safe from the viruses.
The Community For Ecuador:
I remember wanting to go to the grocery store to buy more materials for donations, but as I walked in I could see that the shelves were empty. What had happened was that so many people in the cities that were not affected wanted to help, they had bought all the resources from the supermarket with donation purposes. In my life, I had never seen this happen before. I was not aware of how active my community could get, but seeing the empty shelves at the supermarket actually filled me with pride.
Local Soccer For Ecuador:
For those who live in Ecuador, the members of the local soccer team Independiente del Valle became our role models. During Copa Libertadores de America (one of the most prestigious soccer tournaments in the world), this soccer decided to donate all the money they gained from the ticket office to the victims of the earthquake. The total amount of money collected from playing in the local Olimpic Stadium "Atahualpa" was of $907,874.37 (accumulated). The money was delivered to the United Nations and helped over 1,500 families affected by the catastrophe. Here is the list of the games they played and the amount of money gained in each of them:
Against River Plate (Argentina): $ 181 503,82
Against Pumas (Mexico): $160 032,10
Against Boca Juniors (Argentina): $ 217 356,07
Against Atlético Nacional (Colombia): $ 348 982,38
Many more donations and funds were created to aid the victims, but I wanted to address these as the basis of what our Ecuadorian spirit and aspiration to help is all about. So for everyone who just heard about the devastation I wanted to remind you that there's always light at the end of the tunnel. This Miracle Movement has opened my eyes, constantly reminding me of the happy and kindhearted people Ecuadorians are. I have faith that help will continue to be sent until the victims can find a safe haven and a home again.
