Guatemalans Struggle to Recover

We thought we'd share a note from Julio, the Director of Bendicion de Dios, on both the emotional and practical impact of the Volcan de Fuego eruption.

" Dear Friends of Bajo La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon),

Today I am writing to you with a wounded heart having directly listened to and seen the destructive events that the Volcano of Fire caused. I have always believed that we are fighters for education as a way to seek a better life, a better future and a better Guatemala.

I can affirm that our damaged families are those fighters who, in the midst of their pain, of having lost their material and family things, are standing tall like the warriors they are, they will not let the situation destroy them, instead they are in places looking for their relatives in the midst of danger.

80% have lost their homes, 20% have their homes in good condition, but the rest need new reconstruction. At present, they are considered uninhabitable, and the Los Lotes village has already been designated a cemetery. It is expected that the same will happen with other places.

The vision I have is that in long term, the relocation, the location, the reconstruction will not be easy, if we all do not all get onboard and work as a team. We can imagine it will be 3 to 6 years before all families are well.

A firm heart, with humility and optimism, will have the success desired; that we will achieve this because we have that heart in search of improving the life of each family affected.

Hugs, Julio"