Final Report to Jersey Overseas Aid Commission
Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund
Agency:Tearfund
Implementing Partner:Peace and Hope
Relief Project Title:Emergency relief support to Earthquake victims in Ecuador
Project Location:Provinces of Manabí - Ecuador / Latin America
Amount of Grant Given:£30,000
Date Grant Received: 5 May 2016
Date of Final Report:22 September 2016
Project Progress:
The project was completed on July 15th 2016, according to the expected operation schedule.
Outcomes:
This project was focused on meeting the urgent basic needs of 6,000 people severely affected by the earthquake in 6 locations across Manabi Province. The project provided food, water and hygiene assistance, as well as psychosocial support for children through the established presence of 6 churches located in Montecristi, Manta, Portoviejo, Canoa, Jama, Bahía de Caráquez.
The proposed project’s outcomes were:
a)6,000 people (giving priority to children, pregnant women and elderly people) will receive a balanced daily diet, for a period of two months;
b)6,000 people receive access to water for two months;
c)6,000 people receive hygiene items;
d)1,500 victims receive post trauma support through a psychosocial programme;
Results:
4,570 people received cooked food for a period of two months with the cooperation of 6 churches located in strategic towns in the province of Manabi. Peace and Hope prioritized beneficiaries living in shelters and plastic tents outside their destroyed houses, because they were not receiving official help. In addition, priority was also given to children and pregnant women.
2,496 beneficiaries (312 families) living in communities of Manta, Portoviejo, Bahia de Caraquez, Playa Prieta, Canoeing, Jama, Pedernales and Chamanga received water filters to purify water, because the running water service was cut due to the earthquake. Water filters were provided a sustainable water resource for families, because it was estimated that it would take a long time to restore water supply. It is estimated that the filters will work for a period of one year.
Hygiene kits were distributed to 2,500 children, who had been forced from their homes to live in shelters, and were without any governmental assistance.
792 people received psychological support by group therapy and individual counselling.
The number of people receiving support was lower than expected due to 2 circumstances not under Peace and Hope control. The rise in food prices after the earthquake and the cost of transport also increased due to the scarcity transport them available.
Activities:
a)Assessment of needs in the affected areas, giving priority to victims who have not received enough help. This was conducted in cooperation with local churches. They played an important role, by providing initial assessments to ensure support for those most affected for the earthquake.
b)Coordination with local authorities, churches, community leaders and aid agencies in the intervention area. Peace and Hope coordinated actions with the following organizations operating in the area: Emergency Operational Committee (COE), Risk Attention Office, Red Cross and the UNHCR. In addition Peace and Hope also cooperated with the following Christians organizations: REDI network (integrated by Peace and Hope), Norway Mission, Habitat Ecuador, Compassion and HCJB.
c)Selection of churches that will offer the cooked food. Due to the extension of the affected area, it was necessary to make agreements with churches in the following strategic locations:
Manta – Iglesia del Pacto
Montecristi – Iglesia del Pacto
Portoviejo I – Iglesia Alianza
Portoviejo II - UPLE
Playa Prieta – Comité Cristiano de Emergencia
Bahía Caráquez – Iglesia Aguas Refrescantes
Bahía Caráquez – Iglesia Alianza Cristiana y Misionera
Bahía de Caráquez – Iglesia Católica
Jama - Iglesia Aguas Refrescantes
Canoa – Refugio Unidos
Pedernales – Iglesia Alianza
d)Develop a list of nutritional variety that suits the approved budget and market assessment. This was created by local churches. Initially, it was necessary to carry some products from Guayaquil, due to the lack of food in most affected areas, for example Canoa and Pedernales, which increased the cost.
e)Market assessment. Initially it was run a market assessment in order to evaluate the best place to get the products and how to distribute them as the affected area was extensive (More than 6 hours by car) It was decided to get the products in Guayaquil and distribute them to other provinces.
f)Assistance for two months to 6,000 people. Assistance was provided in the following cities: Manta, Montecristi, Portoviejo, Playa Prieta, Bahia Caraquez, Jama, Canoa and Pedernales covering 4570 people in 8 different locations. The difference between the expected result and the actual was because of the rise in the food prices and the scarcity of the transport which made the distribution more expensive than expected. Also it was necessary to provide 3 rations per day as the people supported with Jersey’s fund lose everything and was not able to cook or get some food / clean water themselves.
g)Development of therapies and workshops for victims for psychosocial support. The Ecuador earthquake had a major psychological impact, because the large number and magnitude of aftershocks during the two months following the initial earthquake. This created panic and continued uncertainty in people, especially children who lived constantly in fear of the next tremor.Similarly, because the population was so unprepared for such a large event, it affected people more severely. It was therefore necessary to focus psychological support for the most affected population.
Budget:
Budget Line / Approved Budget(£ Sterling) / Funding from JOAC
(£ Sterling) / Total Actual Expenditure
(£ Sterling)
Food and Health Emergency
Food and Water assistance / £30,704 / £20,353 / £20,327
Delivery assistance support including transportation and logistics in devastated areas / £2,045 / £1,227 / £1254
Hygiene assistance (costs based upon 1 bath-size towel, 2 soap bars, 1 toothbrush, 1 comb, 1 toothpaste, toilet paper)
/ £5,520 / £3,312 / £3312Psychosocial Support
Workshops and therapies / £1,380 / £828 / £861
Training materials and brochures / £690 / £414 / £386
Transportation to and logistics in devastated areas / £1036 / £621 / £653
Professional trainer / £5,175 / £1,175 / £1180
Administration and Communications / £3,450 / £2070 / £2027
Total / £50,000 / £30,000 / £30000
Case Studies from the Project
Nieve Gonzabai
Nuevo Pedernales is the home town of Nieve Gonzabai, a pastor of the InternationalEvangelical Church
Nieve and the church have served the community for over 30 years. Tragically, during the earthquake, Nieves lost her house but despite the hardship that the earthquake created for her, Nieve, along with volunteers, is daily cooking for over 200 people providing them lunch and dinner.
“It was a moment that was incredibly emotional, and so difficult, everyone was in a place of desperation and we didn’t know where to go”, explained Nieve, recounting her experience of the earthquake. She was never worried about her house or anything she owned, but only about her family that was not at her side.
“I want to thank Peace and Hope Foundation, for their contributions to our recovery after the earthquake” Thanks to this support it was possible for us to survive those days after the earthquake when we did not have any food or clean water.
We know that the way ahead is still hard because we lost everything but with the help of Peace and Hope and our neighbour it will be possible to rebuild our houses.
William Castro and his wife Andrea
“It was very sad and painful. We were reviewing music with some musicians in the church, with my two children and my husband, when the shaking began. We fell to our knees and could not stay stood upright. It was a horrible thing, as a mother the first thing I did was cover my children and put myself over them, I said even if I die it doesn’t matter to me. The electricity went out, we managed to leave the church, we were afraid of the light poles and wires falling on us. People announced a tsunami warning, we ran with all our strength to our house and continued walking towards a high place of the city, to a plane. Everyone was there with only they were wearing, some of them without shoes. Then start raining, we covered ourselves with a plastic. We kept calm and reassured our children. They were very frightened and they can’t be alone, so far because they are afraid. The next day we walked through the city and it made us sad because many people were left with nothing, houses and buildings were destroyed, many people died, of what was Bahia city nothing remains, everything was destroyed. There was no communication, no light, we were left wondering about people.
Her husband William Castro, who is the pastor of the Church also tells us: “The earthquake has caused a terrible psychological effect on our lives so that people sleep with their shoes on, with a flashlight in hand with their mobile cell phones.
“From the day of the earthquake, the church has served as a shelter for 16 families in the community, at first people passing were giving aid but that stopped, and thank God who allowed us to become friends with Peace and Hope Foundation, who gave us provision and we have an assured supply this month. We are hoping to gradually return to normal activities, and for the economy to be revived, to return to jobs and to keep going. We have not lacked food and we can celebrate at every breakfast, every lunch, every dinner; we feel that comes from the hand of God,” says William.
“The Foundation is providing us with a psychologist for three months, who is here constantly, they have also provided food, and we feel that the Foundation is giving us a spiritual covering. They delivered food kits that were distributed to the church and the community, we are doing the great mission and great commission: “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.
Sonia Zambrano Vélez
Department for Management, Development and Social Action for Cantón Sucre – Bahía de Caráquez
Sonia is a member of a governmental agency working alongside with Peace and Hope in Bahia de Caráquez she said: I’m grateful to Paz y Esperanza who have come to the zone in Manabí providing training sessions, social help by way of food and water filters, and have served in the community in the northern region of the zone. I admire their work in reaching families through their deliveries. As public servants we are ready to lend our services in whatever way we can, so that they keep working with the same eagerness, talent and love