Chile: Victoria's life is in danger of crumbling too
The horror of the night of 27 February, when an 8.8 Richter scale earthquake struck Chile, is still present in the lives of the people of Lota. Victoria, who used to be a very cheerful and talkative girl, is now quiet and shy, her mother Esterlina told us.
Victoria, her sister Ingrid, 13, and brother Mauricio, 9, were all sleeping in their bedroom, next door to their parents, “When everything started shaking like a boat,” said Esterlina. “We went to check on the kids, but we couldn’t open the door because a piece of furniture had blocked it. We had to take them out through a window.”
Victoria’s house was located on the slope of a steep hill, in front of the ocean. “I started crying when I saw my house destroyed. It took a lot of hard work to get our things and make improvements in our home” Esterlina said. She still doesn’t have the courage to go back to where her house used to be. It’s too sad for her. They had a two bedroom wooden house on a risky terrain.
After the earthquake, the land gave in and the hills collapsed, taking part of Victoria’s house with it. The family ran away afraid that the hills could cave-in and like many of their neighbors, the family settled on a flat area used as a small soccer field. Esterlina said that the land in Lota is not firm because of all the illegal mining done underneath, leaving just a thin crust on the surface. People are afraid of living on the hills after the quake, because they fear they may collapse. The instability of the ground became evident after the earthquake, leaving many crumbling hills around town. In Victoria’s family the situation is dramatic because not only have they lost their house but also the land it was built on.
Insecurity and instability
Insecurity and instability are two of the constants in the lives of Lota’s children. Like Victoria, many lost their homes and are now living in emergency camps with no water, bathrooms nor electricity. The regular aftershocks and the possibility of a tsunami keep people up at night. The unemployment rate of 20.5% is one of the highest in the nation and Victoria’s father is out of work, doing small part time jobs in the construction area.
The schools have also been highly damaged and little has been done to fix them so far. “They are working on some of the cracks in Victoria’s school, but it doesn’t look safe. I don’t feel at ease sending my children there,” said Esterlina. Victoria doesn’t want to go to school either because she won’t leave her mom’s side. Even when Esterlina steps towards us to talk, Victoria runs and hugs her. “Victoria has been nervous, if there is any strange noise or movement she looks at me and holds on tight to me. She doesn’t want to be alone,” said Esterlina.
Long-term support
However, there is one thing that has been reliable and dependable in the life of Victoria and her sibling: World Vision’s support. Victoria, Ingrid and Mauricio have received caring attention during the many years they have been sponsored. “Victoria’s sponsor has been great, she is always worried about how she and her siblings are doing.” After Victoria’s home was destroyed, World Vision gave the family a tent. Victoria’s father, Mauricio, picked up some construction materials from the ruins of their house and built an additional temporary dwelling.
But Victoria and her family still have much to deal with. The main concern now is that winter is approaching soon in the southern hemisphere. The mornings and evenings are chilling cold where they live, near the ocean. Some of the children in the emergency camp where they are living are getting sick, and there is limited access to health care.
On top of it all, Victoria's uncle, who had been struggling with illness, passed away last week.
“My husband and I started with nothing. Little by little, we were able to build a home for our children," said Esterlina. "Now, all of that’s gone. We’ll have to start from scratch again, the only difference is that it’s not just us now - we have three children to care for.”