When an earthquake strikes your country and you’re thousands of miles from home, you feel crushed, sophomore Diego Herrera said.
On Saturday, Ecuador was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The tremors, which have killed hundreds and injured thousands, left several citizens missing and without shelter in the earthquake’s aftermath. A series of smaller earthquakes and aftershocks followed, including one Tuesday.
Although Herrera said none of his family members or friends were affected, it was the worst earthquake in his country’s history. Herrera, who transferred from Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador three semesters ago, said he wanted to raise awareness on campus and collect donations to help the victims.
“The origin of the earthquake was in the northwest region of the country,” Herrera said. “This is one of the poorest areas in the country, where fishermen live in their wooden houses. It will take months or years to build the area back.”
IU for Ecuador’s Earthquake Victims, a campaign initiated by Herrera and sophomore Anna Arteaga, is spreading its message this week about the severity of the earthquake and then gathering donations to send abroad for displaced families.
Arteaga’s father Jaime, a pilot, traveled to Ecuador to provide relief for victims and help the underserved.
“He is shocked, and it is heartbreaking to see the beach towns we love and the people we love be so devastated,” Arteaga said.
Herrera delivered a speech at the Bloomington Faculty Council meeting Tuesday. He said he spoke with people at the School of Global and International Studies, where lecturer Israel Herrera noticed his efforts and convinced him to present ideas to faculty.
“Our hearts and sympathies are with Diego and his cause,” IU Provost Lauren Robel said. “Being so far from home while such a disaster hits is beyond a great challenge.”
The campaign began a few days ago and is not an official organization, Herrera said. However, if the movement gains traction and they acquire the facilities to move forward, Herrera said they will contact a faculty member to turn their efforts into a full-fledged campus organization.
“We are aware that this is a long-term problem,” Herrera said. “The affected population needs time to reorganize itself because so many people have lost their homes and lives. We won’t be able to fix this in the few weeks left in the semester.”
Herrera said they placed donation boxes in several accessible areas around campus, such as the Fine Arts Building, Hutton Honors College and Hodge Hall. The organization is also placing boxes in residence halls, as well as the Indiana Memorial Union.
Those interested in donating can provide several different items, from nonperishable food products to clothing and shoes, Herrera said. He said bottled water and safety equipment are also less commonly donated and helpful for the cause.
The campaign is in contact with the Ecuadorian Consulate in Chicago, which will take the food and clothing to survivors. Herrera said he wants their efforts to turn into a long-term project that provides sustainable relief.
“The situation is worse than it seems in the media so we need as much help as possible,” Herrera said. “It’s our moral obligation to help university students in need.”
