Volcan de Fuego
Today, we visited El Volcan de Fuego, or the Volcano of Fire, with the daughters of charity. We were less than 4km from the volcano (which is still active). Last year, this volcano destroyed all the houses and killed many families, living in San Miguel Las Lomas, with it. When we first arrived at the place, it was hard for us to imagine how the lava buried houses and people. The sisters told us that some people were saved because they went to work but they are not really lucky, as many believe, because when they returned home, they found themselves homeless and without their families. The feeling of sadness and emptiness is very strong and even if you take pictures or tell someone about the terrible event, they would need to step on the ashes to understand a little better what they went through.
Several of the potential borrowers live in the homes of relatives or friends and others in shelters built by the government. Three of the people who live in the shelters are helped by the daughters of charity and know their stories personally. Just as organizations, the government, and Christian entities help the most unfortunate, some artists like Ricardo Arjona also built and donated homes to the survivors. We visited a woman in the shelter who is in charge of the kitchen. She lost her husband and now has to support her five children who are no more than 8 years old. They all live in a small room with only 2 twin beds. The most remarkable thing to take from this experience is that they have not lost their hope or desire to continue working and get ahead in life. All the people we saw at the shelter welcomed us with a smile on their faces.
We also learned a story told by a survivor of the eruption. Don Carlos lived in San Miguel Las Lomas with his wife, children, and mother. He worked for the police a year ago. The day of the explosion, which fell on a Sunday, everyone was at home resting from the busy week. The Guatemalan seismology association warned them very late about the eruption and did not give them time to evacuate. From his window, he saw how the lava was thrown from the volcano and quickly approaching his home. Don Carlos realized that there was not enough time to run to a safe place so he took all his family to the second floor of his house. Unfortunately, the hot steam was too strong and burned 75% of his entire body in addition to almost suffocating him. When they found him he was transferred to a hospital in Mexico, which provided help to the survivors. When Don Carlos woke up in the hospital, the doctors informed him that his family was not with him anymore. He lost everything, his house, his family, and his job. Currently, he is working as a guardian of the land that the sisters of charity want to build as a community for other people affected by the eruption of the volcano. The sisters have provided him with food, shelter, and a job. Don Carlos told us his story with sadness in his eyes but a lot of hope in his heart.
The people we met today are hard workers who do not give up and fight every day to get out of poverty and have a better future for their families and themselves.
Don Carlos and his dog, Sal, in San Miguel.
