On Wednesday, August 15, 2007, at 6:40 p.m. two earthquakes shook the coastal region of central Peru. The strongest earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, caused severe damage to the cities of Pisco, Ica, Cañete, and Chincha Alta, and was strongly felt in Lima, the capital city of Peru, 100 miles north-northwest of the epicenter. The quake caused the earth to continuously sway for 3 minutes in long, steady waves. Aftershocks occurred for weeks afterwards, sometimes averaging over 100 tremors per day.

As of the end of October, there have been 519 confirmed deaths, 1873 injured, and 42 unaccounted persons. Over 58,000 homes and buildings were destroyed and an additional 21,000 damaged. The major impact was in the city of Pisco, where 80% of the buildings in the city were destroyed. Pisco is a port town known for its vast deserts, fishing industry, grapes/wines, Pisco (a grape-based brandy), and as the jumping off point for viewing the Nasca Lines and other local attractions. As you probably know, Pisco was the site of the beautiful dome-shaped cathedral that caved in during a vigil mass, killing 148 worshipers. The priest was able to escape the ruins but many members of the congregation, mostly mothers and grandmothers, were killed.

Immediately following the earthquake, our family and friends in Peru and the United States attempted to find a reputable relief agency so that we could make a donation. We wanted to find a group where the majority of the donated funds would go to helping the victims of the earthquake rather than to administrative or other miscellaneous fees. It soon became apparent that there was not an established relief agency that we were comfortable with. It was at this point that my uncle Manuel and his wife, Rosita, took it upon themselves to help fellow Peruvians affected by this tragedy.

On their first trip, Manuel and Rosita had no idea what to expect or what to pack. They were afraid of the possible dangers on the road ahead - being robbed, encountering road damage, finding fuel, getting lost, etc. All worries aside, they loaded their small van with crackers, bread, boxed milk, water, concentrates like chicken bullion to make soup, vegetables, frozen chicken pieces, buckets, brooms, disposable cups and whatever else would fit. As they drove south on the Pan-American Highway, the main highway that runs along the western coast of South America, the devastation became apparent. Parts of the highway had sunk and in some areas the highway was completely washed away. As they approached Pisco, the highway became increasingly worse and they were forced to take a well traveled dirt road. As they drove down this road, they met up with two other vehicles trying to deliver supplies to this region. Since this was everyone's first time delivering supplies, they decided that it would be safer to travel as a group. The people in the other vehicles, Fernando and Rafael, belong to a church in Lima named Cuerpo Pastoral Vanguardia Santisimo Nombre de Jesus. Since the day they first met outside Pisco, the team continues to travel and organize their deliveries together on a bi-weekly basis, leaving Wednesday and Sundays at 4 a.m. and returning home around midnight.

Because the Pan-American Highway was so severely damaged, many small villages or "caserios" became isolated. These caserios are small fishing or farming communities of 50 or more families located in the arid southwestern coast of the country. They live in modest homes constructed of hand-made adobe bricks with corrugated steel roofs and dirt floors. Many of the villagers are too poor to own a vehicle among them and have to rely solely on public transportation. Since the earthquake, these Peruvians did not have access to the basic necessities of water, food, and medical aid. Their water lines were severed, water cisterns destroyed, and because the main roads were severely damaged, public transportation was not up and running. Water is available at a water facility in Pisco, a few miles away, but there was no way to get there other than by foot. No one knows when the public services will resume. Citizens would walk to ask for assistance in the larger towns but were largely unsuccessful. Independent relief workers call these small villages "the forgotten ones" because they have been overlooked by the larger relief agencies whose efforts were focused on the major cities.

Our team's first stop was in a caserio of about 50 families. The residents desperately flagged the vehicles down as they approached. It had been 2 weeks since the earthquake and they were the first aid group to stop. Residents said they would try to flag down help on the main road but no one stopped and instead continued on to Pisco. The first most obvious sign was the lack of buildings, only piles of bricks and rubble remained. The residents were sleeping outside their homes on the ground. The children had dirty faces and clothes, and their bodies were covered with scrapes and cuts suffered during the earthquake or from living in the rubble afterwards. Several children had patches of scabies on their skin, which is a bacterial ailment caused by repeated scratching of the skin and lack of hygiene.

The children were so happy to see the team and were the first to arrive at the vehicles. To the team's surprise, the children only asked for water, as their water supply was destroyed during the earthquake. To make sure they kept the situation under control, the children were asked to form a line from youngest to oldest. They quickly formed the line and Rosita, began serving each child a pack of vanilla crackers and a cup of milk. As they finished they asked for more and although it was heartbreaking, the team had to explain that they only had a limited supply and that seconds would be given only after everyone was fed. The children understood, never complained, and patiently returned to line. After they were fed, those in line were served water, making sure everyone had a fair share and nothing was wasted.

The team took a tour of the caserios and spoke with the residents about their needs. The children were especially helpful in being guides. Although their situations were bad, the spirits of the children, and adults alike, were alive and well. Our relief team was impressed by the villagers' determination and willingness to get back on their feet and resume their regular lives. A plan was devised to split the families into units (20 families). An area was cleared for a common kitchen and each unit received a small burner, cooking pot and enough food and water for one week. The women immediately started making food for their unit. Meanwhile, Manuel, a retired pediatrician, examined anyone needing medical attention, mostly children, and treated their scabies, cuts, scrapes and eyes, which were irritated from the constant blowing sand in the desert. When the team left that day, they had a long list of supplier to bring back.

The following week, the team returned to the village with 500 liter tanks for water storage and also arranged for a water truck to deliver water to the village on a regular basis for drinking and bathing. The team and villagers also set up a shower area to enable everyone to get clean and receive medical attention to allow their wounds and skin to heal properly. Manuel brought large bags of dog and cat food from his pet store in Lima for the pets and made sure the animals were also showered so they did not pass along additional skin diseases. Larger pots and food, bundled in 60 kg bundles, were delivered to each unit. The food included enough potatoes, beans, noodles, vegetables, etc. to feed one unit for one week. Smaller bags of non-perishables were given to the individual families, along with detergent, blankets, and other necessities.

Since the first 2 trips, the team has "adopted" 4 additional caserios, setting them up in a similar fashion, depending on their needs and capabilities. On their bi-weekly trips, the team now makes 5 stops per trip. Water for drinking and showering is delivered to each of the caserios on a bi-weekly basis. Manuel continues to provide medical attention at each caserios and frequently brings an intern from a hospital in Lima to assist him. Thanks to the generous donations we have received so far, we are currently providing aid to at 5 different caserios, compromised of 20 separate kitchens, with 20 families per kitchen. Since we started on this endeavor Manuel estimates that we have assisted almost 3,200 people.