Peru!
I haven’t written on this blog since almost six weeks ago, when I posted about Liliana Puma’s family being devastated by the record-breaking earthquake that essentially leveled the city they live in. Many have asked me for updated information on the status of Liliana and her family.
Liliana’s family, along with all other families in their immediate vicinity, has been sustained entirely by help from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The word from her family is that government aid still has not come to their area, but that the Church has helped by providing food, water, medicine, and minimal temporary shelter from the elements.
Read on for pictures and good news…
Please consider the following images of the irreparable damage done to Liliana’s family’s home.
That last image is of Liliana’s mother and 12-year-old nephew, who are essentially sleeping on the streets, under a patchwork semi-shelter of tarps and (I believe) bamboo, along with some bedding, much of which was provided by the Church.
The Good News: I’m going to Peru with a few other local church members to personally help Liliana’s family rebuild their home.
Members of my ward here in Park City, UT have been talking in vague terms about going to Peru to give aid to Liliana’s and other families almost since the day of the earthquake. Finally, a few weeks ago, we started making concrete (no pun intended) plans to rebuild Liliana’s family’s home. We’ve been in contact with the Church in Chincha Alta, Peru discussing costs and possible home designs.
We’ve also been in contact directly with Liliana’s family. Her father worked with a local architect and had plans drawn up for a new, modest home in the style of their prior home. They’ve done research into the cost of building materials, as well as the skilled laborers that will be needed to direct the unskilled manpower we’ll be bringing with us to Peru.
All told, the cost of the project will be only about $10,000 USD, not including travel and accomodations for those of us who will have the opportunity to go personally.
Call For Help
We are in the process of raising the money needed to fund this project. All travel and accomodations will be paid for solely by those volunteering to go personally and help, as we recognize that physically attending the project in Peru is more of a blessing to the volunteer than a material contribution to the project (considering the cost of travel). Just for the cost of raw materials and some skilled local labor in Peru, our goal is to raise $10,000 before we leave for Peru on November 3rd.
Important note: I am not in charge of organizing this project or any fundraising efforts. I am only asking for help as a friend, knowing how difficult it will be for us to fund this project in such a short period of time.
At this point, the last great open problem in the execution of this project is raising these needed funds. Aside from the cost of my own travel, I intend to personally donate at least $500 to the building fund. Please, if you are in a position to donate any amount of money, contact me directly and I’ll let you know how you can help. Please, talk to your friends, coworkers, and church groups about this opportunity and ask if they can help.
This is an opportunity for you to donate to a cause that you know is not spending your money on additional fundraising efforts. I promise you, if you can help financially with this project, your funds will go directly into this individual humanitarian effort, and nowhere else. Here’s your chance to do something more than just pray that something good comes along for this family.