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RESUME OF THE 4TH VISIT OF “SHELTER TO CHILE” TO ITAHUE.
31th July & 1st August
This weekend, a team of fifty volunteers participated working with the people affected by the earthquake in Itahue.
The work, which started in Easter and has continued with periodic visits, this time was as satisfying as ever. Two buidings were made for people who really needed a space where to live: kitchen-bathroom and inner insulating for a shack. The owners helped to build up their new home with enthusiasm.
We gave away 15 beds with warm bedding to people who did not have a proper bed where to sleep. This visit, specially, Shelter to Chile brought enough bedding, to warm up the Itahue’s cold winter nights.
The organization “Phoenix für Chile” donated to Shelter to Chile 170 boxes with clothes and medical supplies. These presents were totally appreciated and welcomed due to their high quality and the wrapping procedure was made skillfully and tenderly for the people from Itahue. Thanks german friends! The local people were absolutely thankfull for receiving this precious items.
The medical team included five doctors, a massage therapist, a nurse, a dentist, two pharmaceutical chemists, two psychologists and one psychomotor therapist. Although the patients were absolutely satisfied with the approach of anthroposophical medicine, there were not enough professionals to cover the need of the population from Itahue and its surroundings.
This time we have got a priceless donation of medicines and oils from WALA. We enormously appreciate having this “luxury healing” to work with the people who attended our improvised therapeutic clinic. A patient, who looked very sad, was sent by her doctor to rythmical massage. When the massage therapist started to move her hands gently and kindly, the patient immediately began crying. She could get off her soul the sadness she was holding inside. We always come back home fulfilled with intense and rich human experiences, it is the deep sense of what we do what inspires us to continue doing this.
The Waldorf Pedagogy work was once again done at Itahue School. We were glad to see the same children. The teachers know their names. They attended the stories with fascination and participated with enthusiasm in whatever was offered by our Waldorf teachers.
The same workshops were available to the people. The knitting workshop received 37 women, who learned to make beautiful dolls out of fleece. The beads workshop was successful once more, specially among teenagers who made pretty items. The “Rebuild Itahue” embroidery workshop continued to work with its loyal members. The organic garden workshop couldn’t take place because it didn’t gather the people who stated with the impulse, however, they are willing to meet again.
We have already built up a relationship with the people from Itahue. The work has slowly turned up from an urgent help in emergency time, into a fraternal friendship. We are glad to work with human beings seeking for growing and developing themselves, we are happy that they want from us, not just the material help, but the spiritual element which flows between human beings.
We truly thank to Linda Hillinger, a german Waldorf student, who fundraised her final work in school, a flamenco show, and donated it to “Shelter to Chile”. To the ecuatorian Waldorf teachers, who made amazing toys for the children from Itahue, and to all our friends who have supported with benevolence, our work in Chile. The next visit will be on the 11th and 12th of September.
Carina Vaca Zeller
para “Cobijo para Chile”