„Shelter for Chile“ – Helping to Overcome Earthquake Trauma
On 27 February 2010 the fifth strongest earthquake since the beginning of the seismic records occurred off the coast of the Maule region in Chile. Around two million people were directly affected by the natural disaster. According to the latest figures, more than 500 people were killed and many more lost their homes. The following existential crisis particularly affected the poor part of the population.
After the devastating earthquake, the anthroposophical doctor, Carina Vaca Zeller, decided to enthuse her colleagues and some teachers to regularly travel to the affected region in order to help the people living in the villages Itahue, Puente Alto and Bascunan Carillo de Molina. By and by a spiritual and communal way of accompanying and supporting the affected people developed out of a spontaneous, substantial and individual emergency aid. Also Thanks to the donors of the Friends of Waldorf Education, the initiative "Shelter for Chile" was able to carry out seven assignments on site up to December 2010.
The team consisting of Waldorf teachers, psychologists, anthroposophic doctors, young people, therapists, and commonly dedicated people conducted its first relief campaign on Easter weekend in April 2010. Upon arrival in the rural region they came across the following situation: in the three villages, with a total of 2,800 inhabitants, 182 cottages and dwellings were no longer inhabitable. It quickly became clear that the misery of the earthquake had mingled with the already existing poverty of the local population. Despite the devastating situation, the hard-working people of the affected area had already removed the ruins to a large extend, when the team finally arrived.
The first campaigns were all about providing emergency assistance to those most in need. Local authorities supported "Shelter for Chile" with workrooms and information about the condition and needs of the population. From Germany, the team of Bernd Ruf of the Friends of Waldorf Education assisted the campaign with advice in emergency pedagogy. Besides the construction of houses and material aid (beds, clothes, toys, household items), the work of the team on site was strongly influenced by the curative effects of anthroposophic measures especially in the field of education and therapy. This type of support was conducted in the following areas: medical work (consultation with anthroposophical doctors, anthroposophic medicine), therapeutic support (rhythmic massage, liniments, working with children, psychotherapy) and Waldorf Education (stories and care for children, handicraft workshops for women).
In the field of reconstruction, it was primarily a question of erecting humane housing for the affected population. The government and the Catholic Church had already built many "homes" indeed, but they were actually single non-insulated rooms of 18 square meters in size, which had neither a toilet nor kitchen. "Shelter of Chile", organized further simple houses for € 1,100 each, which could be built in a day. They were small, stable and worthy homes with a kitchen and bathroom. The people, who had lost their home, could hardly believe that they would from now on live in such accommodation.
For the team of “Shelter for Chile”, the relief campaign was not only a time of hard work but also a time of intense and enriching human experience. In the field of medical and therapeutic aid many of the affected people experienced such a treatment for the first time in their lives. One woman said: "Ah, massage! I saw it on TV once, but I never thought that I would ever experience something like that." The tense pain could then dissolve under the loving care of the nurturing hands, and in tears the woman was able to free herself from the traumatic experience of the disaster. These were not only tears of pain but tears of an enormous gratitude for the fact that there were people willing to accompany her fate.
In the field of educational work the helpers will keep in mind the open mouths and astonished faces of the children, listening happily and excited to the stories and participating in games. The team was able to help them to overcome their psychological trauma. Furthermore the performance of the drama “The Three Kings” by "Shelter for Chile" was a great success for the children, adolescents and adults. Now the young people as well as the adults wish for an annual performance.
After all the aid and assistance, an affected woman who regularly visited the handicraft workshop came to the following conclusion: "The earthquake was not entirely a bad thing it also procured a lot of good. Otherwise we probably would have never got to know you (the work of “Shelter for Chile")."
Due to the enormous thankfulness of the affected population, the team of “Shelter for Chile” as well as the Friends of Waldorf Education, have the feeling that their work and support was and still is meaningful and successful. We would like to pass this gratitude on to you dear donors, having supported the campaign, and we hope that you feel the same way. With the help of the Friends of Waldorf Education, "Shelter for Chile” is able to continue its medical, therapeutic and human work in 2011and thus provide further assistance to the people affected by the earthquake.
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