Report from Chile, March 2010[1]
In the latest news reports across Europe one could read that Chile has sufficient wealth to recover from the physical damage of the recent earthquake. This is not true. The majority of those struck by the quake are poor people with no means, or the people with the lowest incomes or people who can no longer carry out their work due to the lasting effects of the quake, such as fishermen, or they people who are too old to start again unaided.
The truth is, in Chile one finds poverty intermingled with the devastation of the quake. And yet it is astonishing to see how these people apply themselves. Two weeks after the quake rubble has been stacked into piles. Many families have used plastic sheets to construct a ‘human space’ in which they can find shelter, as long as it doesn’t rain. These sites are a mixture of devastation and painstaking order.
Our Action, ‘Shellter for Chile’ wishes to bring a therapeutic, healing effect and the beneficent fruits of Anthroposophy to these people. The ‘Friends of the Art of Education’ are offering advice on emergency-eduction (Notfallpädagogik) via Bernd Ruf; a group of Doctors led by Dr M-G Sterner (Niederlausitzt Clinic) have sent us an unbelievably generous quantity of medicine, both anthroposophical and allopathic, which will support doctors here in their efforts to apply high quality medical help to those in need. There are now also beautiful activities for younger children (storytelling, play, music), for teens (circus, music) and seminars for mothers (healing effect of rhythm and ritual, storytelling), for the elders there is eurythmy and an attempt to collect local stories and traditions in a bid to publish a small volume based on the oral transmissions of the Itahue and Puente Alto people. We are also offering rhythmic massage, Group- and individual counselling according to need. The young people in our Action Group volunteer their labour and help where people need help.
The hard reality of the situation here has shaken us all; we feel a deep gratitude that we may work alongside these people, and that Anthroposophy serves and applies itself to practical needs in such a wonderful way. That so many people can be healed and nurtured by it is a gift to us all.
We thank you all, because you have made it possible that through our Action so many people can be comforted and find new hope.
With Heartfelt greetings and many thanks from Chile,
Carina Vaca Zeller
for the Team “Hüllen für Chile”
(Sheathes for Chile)
[1] Translated by Iris Curteis, on 15 March 2010, Australia
