Earthquake appeal – Update

In September 2017, Mexico suffered a series of devastating earthquakes, causing widespread damage to homes, buildings and vital services.

Thankfully all the children and staff were safe but there was significant structural damage to all seven residential homes.  For almost one week after the earthquake, the homes were without electricity and gas, meaning staff were unable to cook for children, keep them warm or provide lighting.

Some staff were also unable travel to the residential homes as public transportation services had been suspended. All these additional services (food from cafeterias, oil heaters, battery lighting and employing temporary agency staff to work at the residential homes) were brought in at significant expense.

We launched an emergency appeal to support CAM during an extremely challenging time for them and thanks to our fantastic supporters and donors, we raised £13,367 in emergency aid .

The funds were used to undertake emergency repairs, meet additional service costs and provide Post Traumatic Stress counselling to children who were left traumatised by the events.

Children were invited to get involved in a community day helping to re decorate their dormitories and common rooms to foster a sense of pulling together as a team and having input into how the personal spaces were decorated.

The children all enjoyed getting involved and making a contribution towards re decorating their home and giving the areas their personal touch and found it very therapeutic. The spaces now feel very personal to them and are home.

Fundraising continues to complete the new building, as soon as possible. The building will encompass the residences, care facilities,Independent Life building, mental health clinic with two doctor’s offices, the medical facility, a dentistry facility, the spirituality centre (which is for all belief systems), a general laundry room, an isolation room with its bathroom (when a child has a contagious disease), changing rooms for the soccer fields, gymnasium, a large industrial  kitchen and offices under one roof which will enable a better service to be given to all children under one roof.

Thank you again for all your support