Perspective From Rural Pisco

Posted: 21 August 2007

One day after the devastating earthquake, Oxfam’s Communications Officer Danny Gibbons talked with people in rural communities struggling to overcome the damage from the earthquake in Pisco.

Próspero Meza

Próspero Meza is the President of ANPAL, the National Association of Cotton Producers, a longtime partner of Oxfam in Peru.

Meza found us as we arrived in the town of Independencia and guided us around the rural areas of Pisco, explaining that he and his fellow farmers were worried about access to water, health services, and food. Many communities had almost nothing left and no money to travel to urban areas to seek help.

He mentioned that irrigation channels have been blocked or damaged during the earthquake, and that this will affect their crops. “This means that in the mid term the supply of beans, peas, tomatoes and other vegetables will be affected,” he said. “Lima and the whole country may suffer a shortage.”

Maria Rojas

In the parish house of Humay, María Rojas was one of the women in charge of cooking Friday lunch. She told us of the shock and grief people were feeling as they realized their houses were so severely damaged. But she also said they organized everything, and were taking turns cooking meals for theirs families. They were sharing the food remaining in their houses at the moment of the earthquakes, and sharing their blankets, mattresses, and clothes. They were sleeping outdoors on the concrete field formerly used for sports.

“But we are running out of food”, Rojas said, “and we don’t know what we will do if help does not get here before that.” The water they are using is drawn from a well, and its quality is doubtful. “But this is what we have,” she added, “we keep on fighting for our families’ welfare while we wait for the aid to get here.” Their main needs are water, food, and shelter.

Adolfo Zubileta Quispe

Adolfo Zubileta Quispe is the President and spokesperson for the Community of Montesierpe. He explained how the 70 families living there for more than 20 years are already organized and have been registered and divided into four groups with a communal kitchen for each one of them.

“We have organized our tasks and the food so we all have something to eat,” Zubileta explained, “but there is very little food remaining.”

They even had to confront a group of robbers that tried to take a neighbor’s remaining belongings. “Our communal alert system worked,” Zubileta said. “When the bell was tolled as an alarm, everyone woke up and helped protect our neighbor and all the community.”

The women of Montesierpe were cooking when we visited the community and they talked to us in a brave tone of voice. Their concerns were the same as those of their neighbors in Humay: They are running out of food, water is scarce, and there is no medical aid in the vicinity. Their houses are not fit to live in anymore because their walls are cracked and a strong aftershock might knock them down completely. In the meantime, they keep fighting for their community and families, and hope aid will come soon and they can start reconstructing their lives.

Justina Llauca

Justina Llauca lived in her house at the entrance of Montesierpe. With her children’s help she took care of a small shop where she sold some food, candy, beverages, as well as office and school supplies. After the earthquake she had to decide what to do when she saw her house had almost completely fallen down. “My daughter and son helped me take some stuff out,” Justina told us. “I have rescued some of my belongings and some food and stuff we sold in the shop. We are contributing to the communal kitchens and our neighbors, but this will not last forever.”

While we were there, Justina reached out and gave a small chocolate to one of the town’s kids. He smiled and went back to playing with his friends. Justina looked at me seriously and directly in the eye. I understood. She is not giving up; she will fight to gain her life back.