The San Juan de Dios (SJD) Rest Center and Shelter in Quito have distributed 750 kits of non-perishable food, drinking water, and hygiene products to numerous families during two trips to the earthquake-affected area. This initiative was made possible thanks to donations received by Juan Ciudad NGO through the "Ayuda Ecuador" campaign.
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Brother Carlos Tirado, head of the project "Help for people and families affected by the earthquake in Ecuador," promoted by the Quito SJD Shelter, reported that the objective is to guarantee the supply and distribution of food and supplies to the population affected by the earthquake, in addition to providing moral support.
The project plans to carry out approximately ten trips, of which the first two have just been completed. A team of Brothers, professionals, and volunteers from the San Juan de Dios centers in Quito traveled to the affected area in two trucks and a small bus.
On August 12, the team distributed 250 aid kits to families in the La Chorrera sector, a small town located a few kilometers from the Pedernales canton in the northern part of ManabĂ province.
And on September 3rd, the team reached out to the communities of Brisas del PacĂfico, CojimĂes, and Bache, which had not yet received adequate assistance since the disaster, distributing 500 relief kits this time. All of this was done in coordination with the Municipality of Pedernales.
The earthquake that struck Ecuador on April 16 of this year, with its epicenter in the provinces of ManabĂ and Esmeraldas, specifically in the city of Pedernales, left thousands of homes destroyed, families homeless, jobless, and a death toll of more than 700.
Brother JosĂ© MÂȘ Viadero, director of Juan Ciudad NGO, emphasized that "this project is important because it shows how our organization, despite being a cooperation NGO and not an emergency NGO, can channel society's solidarity in a critical situation such as the one caused by the earthquake in Ecuador, by having permanent counterparts on the ground, who also have the capacity to respond to a catastrophe like this."
Juan Ciudad's NGO "Ayuda Ecuador" campaign raised 86,374 euros, which were sent to the Hospitaller Order of Saint John the Baptist in Quito for the project "Help people and families affected by the earthquake in Ecuador," coordinated by the Saint John the Baptist Shelter in Quito.
Many thanks to all the individuals, San Juan de Dios centers in Spain, and other institutions that have collaborated with our campaign to assist the victims of the earthquake in Ecuador.
See more photos in the Facebook of Juan Cuidad NGO.
Photos: SJD Hostel in Quito.
Text: Adriana Castro, JCONGD communication.
