Gratitude: Oaxaca Thanks All Who Give Support

We are not yet “out of the woods!” There is still so much more to repair in Oaxaca state*as a result of the September 7, 2017, earthquake that registered 8.2 on the Richter Scale. The quake was centered just off-shore from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Oaxaca state, where most of the damage occurred in and around the town of Juchitan de Zaragoza.

Click here for regional map

Coastal villages, like where life is as it was thousands of years ago, have no fresh water, contaminated wells from broken septic systems, fissures in earthen floors, and crumbled dwellings. The prognosis: Broken lives. Broken homes. Broken hopes. Years to recover.

The weaving and fishing village of San Mateo del Mar is one such village where anthropologist Denise Lechner and pediatrician Anja Widman are working to repair the world.

This is where I have directed the funds that have come to me by check from people who have responded to this blog and Call for Help!

I want to take this moment to thank you.

  • Mary James, Modesto, CA
  • Richard Kowalczyk, Springfield, VA
  • Irene Schmoller and Cotton Clouds, Inc, Safford AZ
  • Mary Randall, Modesto, CA
  • Rebecca Neigher, Durham, NC
  • Roberta Megard, St. Paul, MN
  • Eshkie Zachai and Jerry Martin, Eugene, OR
  • Susanne Corrigan, Tallahassee, FL
  • Anonymous, Makawao, HI
  • Liliana Rico Kennedy, Ocala, FL

Countless more of you have made donations directly to Denise’s PayPal account and I’m sending personal Thank You’s on her behalf. Others have helped through the Francisco Toledo Foundation. There is also a way to make a wire transfer to the Alfredo Harp Helu Foundation that will make a 50% match.

Thousands of aftershocks result in sleepless nights.

In the last ten days, there have been shock waves registering 6.1 to 4.1 several times a day, throughout the region. I imagine people are suffering from PTSD. Let alone the need for mental health, the public health risks are huge.

Map of Quake Region.   You can see the fragility of the coast town of San Mateo del Mar, where I have visited. Dysentery and infection especially threaten the lives of children who are less resistant to disease.

Yes, there is much to do to repair our world. We know that Puebla State and Estado de Mexico are also damaged, and the death toll has risen in Mexico City.

And, then there is our Puerto Rico, USA Territory disaster, where federal help is scant and the situation is dire, and another Twitter War points to 45’s lack of moral compass.

Where ever you choose to give, please be generous and continue to be generous. Our friends need your help.

Sending sincerest thanks, Norma

P.S. DO NOT CANCEL YOUR TRIP to Oaxaca City, Puerto Escondido or Huatulco. These areas were not affected by the September 7 earthquake.  I am returning to Oaxaca via Mexico City at the end of November. I intend to be in Mexico City for several days. I will not succumb to fear!

 

 

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