Return to Chincha

Judging by the aching in my every muscle and the sheer exhaustion that turned me into a zombie at the office on Monday, my body has atrophied after six years of sitting in front of a computer for ten hours a day. I was back in Chincha on Saturday and Sunday to assist the good citizens of that destroyed town. The trip was organised by the same lot with whom I went three weeks ago. On the one month anniversary of the earthquake there were far fewer volunteers heading south from Lima; 70 vs 650. A good deal was achieved nonetheless. Saturday was a similar exercise to the last trip, conducting a census. We, my two female charges and I, were entrusted with a map covering a square mile or so which marked the locations of the known communal kitchens in the area. Communal kitchens are being set up either by NGOs or by groups of locals. Anywhere between 5 and 40 families might congregate around one of these kitchens to get their food. It's vitally important for the local authorities to know where these kitchens are located so that when food aid does arrive, they aren't wandering around aimlessly trying to find them, or worse, overlooking the kitchens because they don't know they even exist.

This is where we came in. Armed with the map we went in search of all the kitchens already marked on the map, to ensure they were where the map indicated (which in three out of four cases they weren't so good thing we checked), and to find any new ones which had sprung up in the week or two since the last party conducted this exercise. We found seven more on top of the original four so all in all, a good afternoon's work. In addition we brought the kitchens' organisers important information on registering with the authorities and making sure they continually check in with them. In an ideal world, this wouldn't be necessary, but when resources are scarce, you have to make sure that those in charge of distribution aren't forgetting about you. The harsh realities on the ground.

My several visits down south, as well as conversations with interested parties back in Lima, have demonstrated beyond a doubt how crucial it is to have people in charge of aid and rescue efforts who know what they're doing. Who have experience. Who understand the minutiae which can disrupt the best-laid plans. Who are people managers. And perhaps most important of all, who display a grasp of common sense and good judgement. I'm reminded of the man at the helm of the US agency FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) when Hurricane Katrina hit the south coast of the US in 2005. Michael Brown, lawyer. He was relieved of his duties nine days into the response effort for extreme incompetence. Prior experience: Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association, 1989 to 2001. Chairman of the Board of the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, 1982 to 1988. Clearly the man for the job.

Our task on the Sunday was of a different order. Helping some families clear rubble from their houses and into the street so that it could be taken away by the roaming loaders sent by the government. Our team of twelve was a model of productivity. Getting in and out of our chosen house with a wheelbarrow was impossible, so we formed a human chain to pass the adobe bricks out of the house, over the wall which we partly demolised to accomplish this. The volume of debris we removed in just a few hours was both impressive in terms of mass and saddening in terms of drop-in-the-ocean insignificance of outcome. We cleared half of one house. It showed both how much can be achieved through coordinated teamwork (the same process had been used several times over the weekend to load and unload trucks back at base camp with similar military efficiency) and what an immense effort lies ahead to rebuild Chincha, Pisco and Ica. That thought however hasn't prevented the pain and fatigue brought on by this sudden laborious shock to my system feeling very satisfying indeed.

More pictures at Picasa.