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Hurricane Pauline Damage Reports from Piña Palmera

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This is from Anna at Piņa Palmera: Dear friends of Pina Palmera,

thank you for your calls and messages and for your support! Balbino finally called me from Pochutla and I talked to him and to Jim Clouse. Everybody are in good spirits. Help is reaching them and the military is working hard to re-establish the roads. Now it is possible to arrive by car (Small trucks) from Oaxaca and through Salina Cruz. You can also go from Pochutla to Zipolite. Antonio and Regula and Violeta are fine, their house on top of the hill made it but all new constructions are destroyed. Susanna Lopez and her family are fine. The house she rented for her parents is basically OK, the palmroof flew. The Posada is facing mayor destructions too, but parts of it are still liveable. We got news from San Agustinillo that Kjell is doing fine. Now they need: Electrical generators, motorsaws, machetes, shovels, axes, buckets, insect-repellents, candles, matches, and water purifiers. They also need diapers for children and adults.

Jim told me that the waterlevel during the hurricane rose to the windows of the "casa nueva". (The concrete construction where the infirmary and dormitories and therapy room are). Miguel from Australia (friend of Daniel Santos) was one of the persons that helped rescue everybody from the Palmgrove. They used all the life-wests and floating equipment that we usually use at hidrotheraphy. Carrying the people that could not walk (Leticia, Ezuiquio, Malena, Paco, Celestino, Elias, Jose, Alfredo, Felicitas, and Raymundo) they made it all the way to the "agencia" in Zipolite (a concrete structure on top of a small hill)during heavy rains, and there is where the army came to help. How they made it they hardly know themselves, it was terrifying and they were very afraid. Jim was in his house first (he lost his roof) and then he went to the Palmgrove to help rescue people. Some of them were in "casa nueva" and others in the office. All other buildings suffered mayor damages and many palmtrees fell. Now they have arranged a kitchen in Adalbertos and Irenes house and they are cooking food there for everybody in Zipolite. The people with disabilities are in the hospital and the volunteers and staff from Pina Palmera are taking turns caring for them.

Maga and Edel lost their house and so did Martha Cecilica, Alva, Carmela. I don't know about the rest yet.

Thanks again for your help. Students from the Iberoamericana University have promised to come and help with the reconstruction.

Love to you all,
Anna Johansson de Cano



Dear friends,

thank you everybody that have called and send messages. And thank you for your donations, everything helps! Balbino flew to the coast yesterday and I stayed here in Mexico City with little Manuela that now is eight months old. There are still no numbers on how many people died or disappeared in the small communities in the mountains. They still need food, blankets, drinking water and medicines. They also need candles, matches, petroleo, chainsaws, axes, shovels, machetes, flash-lights, batteries, water purifiers, insect repellents, electric generators, and diapers for children and adults.

Pina Palmera served as a home for 17 adults, 4 severely disabled, and 16 children, 7 severely disabled. At this time there are 10 volunteers, five of them were living at the Palmgrove. (Two volunteers were in Mexico City during the hurricane). 38 people work at the Palmgrove. Many of them lost their homes. So far I know for sure that Alva, Carmela, Maga and Martha Cecilia lost everything. I don't know about the rest. Adalberto's and Irene's house seem to have made it without mayor damages and they have set up a communal kitchen there where Juana and Irene are cooking for everybody. We have 300 active patients in surrounding communities and we still don't know how their situation is. Many need medication for epilepsy. If you want to help please send donations to The banks in Pochutla still work. Please send donations to these bancaccounts:

INVERLAT, Pochutla, Oaxaca, # 50258-8 or to

Banco Bital
Sucursal 0843
Cuenta No. 4006261259
Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico

or to

Slade Child Foundation
L'Enfant Plaza
Post Office Box 44246
Washington D.C. 20026

(Please write the cheque out to Slade Child Foundation but add that it is for Piņa Palmera and they will send the whole amount to us.)

Tel: (202) 508 38 6

Our address is:

C.A.I. Piņa Palmera A.C.
Apartado Postal 109
c.p. 70900 Pochutla, Oaxaca, MEXICO
Tel and fax: +52-958-40342

You can read more about the Pina Palmera at http://palmera.webway.se Thanks gain for your support and I will write again as soon as I can.

Love
Anna Johansson de Cano


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