Natural disasters turn people’s lives up-side down, destroying homes, businesses and communities. In Ecuador, Habitat is empowering families to build back better after the earthquake earlier this year.
On 16th April 2016, a 7.8 earthquake hit Ecuador killing over 650 people. In the province of Manabi alone, nearly 100,000 people were affected. Families lost everything. Their homes were destroyed and, with little income or employment opportunities, they do not have the resources or expertise to rebuild.
Families like Ramona’s (pictured) were forced to live in the open in very poor conditions. She is one of the 13,000 people Habitat is reaching through our response. She and her son are much safer in their temporary accommodation, built with the tools and materials which Habitat and our partners provided. As well as this, recycled materials from Ramona's old home were used in the construction.
As the infographic shows, we are working with local partners to provide emergency shelter and construction kits so that families can improve their own shelter.
These have made a huge difference to lives of people like Ramona but there is still so much more to do.
Working alongside our local partners in the area, Habitat is supporting the 13,000 most affected people, giving aid in the form of emergency supplies and support kits. As the infographic shows, Habitat are also providing construction equipment so that families can improve their own homes.
We are committed to supporting families move out of temporary accommodation and rebuild their homes. Our work will include training programmes, which will help families learn about safe construction. We will also train local builders on earthquake-resistant construction standards. This will help ensure communities are better protected in the face of another natural disaster. At its heart, our work aims to ensure communities have the knowledge and resources to rebuild themselves.
Our work relies on your generosity. Donate today to support families like Ramona’s.
