Ottawa residents support victims of Mexico earthquake
By Haesun Jung
Victoria Casanova didn’t know what horrors were ahead of her when she embarked on a trip to Mexico on Sept. 15 to visit an old friend of hers.
What the 25-year-old woman had to deal with in Mexico were not idle days, but a deadly earthquake.
“It was supposed to be a fun relaxing vacation (which) I would spend reading and visiting my friend,” Casanova said in an email interview.
On Sept. 19, a catastrophic earthquake hit Mexico, resulting in at least 370 people killed and 6,000 injured. It was the second disaster in two weeks after an earlier quake on Sept. 7 had killed nearly 100 and injured 300.
Though shocked by the unexpected tragedy, Casanova acted quickly. She said she and her friends swept every hardware store in Mexico City to buy picks, shovels, masks and gloves. She then drove to locations where the equipment was needed to help rescuers find people buried in collapsed buildings.
She said that most of the help provided reached those in need. However, some trucks which had been sent to an area outside of Mexico City with essentials such as food or tools were robbed en route, so her team had to coordinate the transfer carefully to avoid such a danger.
“In the end, it all worked out for us and everything got to where it had to be,” Casanova said.
Casanova said that the expenses for transportation and purchases of necessities were out of her own pocket and her friends’ initially. She has launched a crowdfunding page to pay back everyone who spent their own money to help in the rescue work.
Fortunately, she was able to collect enough donations not only to cover the cost of the expenses but also to donate a surplus to a fund for helping rebuild homes for quake victims.
“I never thought we would get that much monetary support,” said Casanova. “So I feel extremely blessed. I also made some friendships with this group of people that came together for one cause and that also feels really special.”
Other Ottawa residents are supporting victims of the earthquake. An Oct. 6 fundraiser —organized by the Mexican Canadian Cultural Association of Ottawa and Gatineau partnered with the Humanitarian Organization of Latin American Students — took place at City Hall.
“We started with a very small plan,” said Hugo Crespo, the president of the cultural association.
He said the event drew support from Canadians of diverse backgrounds. He initially expected 150 people at maximum in a small church, with a couple of people who were donating food for fundraising.
But as awareness of the event grew, organizers began planning for a crowd of 700 at city hall.
Abraham Bonilla, an international student in Ottawa from Puebla City, Mexico, said the need for relief will continue in Mexico for a long time: “People need to keep helping.”
He added: “It is nice to have a few Mexicans here, so we can talk about with each other.”
“I am proud to say that I am from Ottawa,” said Casanova. “People in Ottawa are caring and kind. Despite my desire to travel and experience other cultures and live in other countries, I am proud to call Ottawa my home.”