
Pawanka Fund - Emergency Relief Hurricane
As you may have heard on November 3th, 2020, ETA a category 4 hurricane hit the coasts of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. Two weeks later, on November 16th, IOTA a category 5 hurricane, one of the strongest in the history of Nicaragua, followed the same trajectory as ETA. Both hurricanes hit Puerto Cabezas/Bilwi, and its nearby communities without mercy, bringing even more poverty to the poorest region in Nicaragua. The two hurricanes damaged the electric grid, the communications networks, the hospitals, the health centers, the two universities, and the market. 80% of the infrastructure is gone. Thankfully, no lives were taken.
To give you an idea of the devastation, below are pictures of the Moravian Church in Wawa before and after the hurricanes.


The hurricanes affected Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities throughout the region. Their houses and croplands were taken by the wind or flooded by the growing rivers. The 300 communities in the region are devastated and there are more than 50,000 people in safe houses, waiting for a helping hand to start rebuilding their homes.
With pain in our hearts, we ask you to help our region, our people and our communities. Families affected by the hurricanes need food, medicines and building materials (zinc sheets for roofing, nails). You can support them by contributing to this GoFundMe campaign. The funds will be managed through Pawanka’s account at RSF Social Finance.
Thank you very much for your solidarity and love for the Afro-descendant and Indigenous Peoples of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.
With love,
Myrna Cunningam Kain and Carla Maria Bush
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