Panama Community Devastated by Landslides

Dear Reader. My name is Ayla Petelle. Most of you may know me as the manager of the Lost and Found Hostel in Panama.

Over the past week the area where the Lost and Found is located (The Hornito area) has been affected by extreme amounts of rain from Hurricane Eta, causing landslides and flooding.  On Thursday, November 5th, massive landslides tore through the road on both sides of the mountain, raging through the community of Valle de la Mina, forcing families out of their homes, trapping the people in this area.

The entire area is cut off and has been without electricity and water for over a week. It could take weeks if not months before electricity and water is restored in the area, and the damages to the main road will take many months for basic repairs to allow people to move through the area. The damages to the community could take years to repair.

In my experience long term support provided by the Panamanian government is not something that we can rely on, which is why I know that it is extremely important that we do as much as possible to help this community, if it is within our means.

For those of you who have visited the Lost and Found Hostel in the past, you know that we work very closely with the community of Valle de la Mina. These landslides have displaced many members of the community. They have directly affected our immediate staff, as well as other members of the community that have been working with us for over 14 years.

The immediate needs of the community are basic supplies such as water and dry foods, gasoline and batteries, earth being cleared to create access to the community, and erosion control to prevent the continuing damage.

Some volunteers were able to hike into the area to bring some potable water, batteries, and food, but unfortunately due to the severity of the damages, this aid is still not sufficient.

Many members of the community have suffered major damages to their homes, some losing them entirely.

In addition, we have all experienced the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic this year, but in rural areas such as Valle de la Mina, the effects on this community have been amplified largely due to the fact that Panama was on full lock down for most of the Pandemic. The government stimulus money given during the pandemic was only $100 per month per adult, and some Panamanian citizens never received any stimulus money at all. You read that right: $100 PER MONTH! And many have received NOTHING!

If you have visited the Lost and Found Hostel before, and have met our staff, or visited the community, you know that the people of Valle de la Mina are resilient.

They have worked together to survive the Pandemic, but now mother nature has given this area another blow, and this time the community can use all of the help they can get.

Due the lack of funds during the Pandemic the majority of the community depended on their farmland as a main source of food, but many of these farms have been destroyed in the landslides and floods.

Unfortunately, because of the roads being destroyed, the reopening of the Lost and Found Hostel will also be postponed. The families that worked with us will not be able to depend on this source of income. The owners of the Lost and Found Hostel, Andrew Bennett and Patrick McGreer, have offered the hostel as an evacuation space during this crisis.

Luckily the Lost and Found buildings were mostly unaffected, but part of the property itself was lost due to the landslides, and as the rains continue, the earth continues to give way, threatening the Hostel. They have also been without electricity and water and have limited food, and limited gasoline to keep the generators running. We will use a portion of the funds collected to provide supplies to the Lost and Found so they can continue to provide support to the community and make repairs to the structural integrity of the property. We will also use a portion of the funds to provide some economic support to our immediate staff member’s families.

Don Cune, the coffee farmer, has lost most of his organic farm in the landslides, as well as a significant loss in coffee processing machinery. We will use a portion of the funds to help Done Cune rebuild his farm.

We will use a portion of the funds to provide basic foods and potable water to the community.

I have not been working at the Lost and Found since the Pandemic, but the Lost and Found Hostel and the Valle de la Mina community was my home for over 4 years. I am currently in the United States, which has allowed me to be in the position to access resources to organize this campaign. I am working directly with the owners of the hostel, Andrew Bennett and Patrick McGreer, to organize the distribution of funds. Laetitia Wayaffe and Bastiaan Breunese, both former co-managers of the Lost and Found Hostel, are working with us to help spread the message of this cause.

Whatever help that you can give to this community is appreciated. Monetary donations, helping to share the message, or reaching out to provide emotional support.

If you would like to contact a specific member of the Lost and Found Team or a member of the Valle de la Mina community, or if you have questions about our campaign, please let me know and I can provide contact info and further details.

Thank you for taking the time to read our message and please donate and share if you can!