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On the streets. Home by home in PR

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Many have asked what the real story is here on the island since news in the states is showing a different reality. I have been on the streets since the day after hurricane Maria here in the northwest corner of the island of Puerto Rico in brigades opening the roads for people to access their family members and friends, bringing food/water/supplies house by house in Anasco, Mayagüez and Las Marías neighborhoods that have not received any attention. When I say no attention I mean not local municipal government, military or federal. People are without homes, without food, without water, without medication, without schools for their children, without access to hospitals, not to mention without electricity or communication since the electrical and communication grids were torn apart. San Juan is functioning, people are at restaurants, malls, stores and many have water and electricity. But take a look at the route Maria took entering at the south east corner of the island in full force in yabucoa, maunabo and patillas (where my husbands family lives) and moving across the interior of the island at the same force the entire time exiting through the north western corner of the island by Isabella, Aguadilla, aguada and rincón. There was severe flooding, massive landslides, roads wiped out leaving no access to areas other than with helicopters. The stations serving as rescue sites are inaccessible to the majority. In las marias which borders with anasco, Maricao, Mayagüez, San Sebastián and Moca, there are people still trapped in their homes by landslides without access to clean drinking water, food, electricity and communication. If you live on the border of municipalities you are abandoned as neither municipality wants to take responsibility for their residents and push them on to the bordering municipality ( we are the perfect example as our farm borders with anasco and neither mayor wants to take responsibility for the area.
(Our farm was completely destroyed and is now blocked by a landslide). Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, a colony, but we are all United States citizens. We pay taxes, serve in the US military and so much more. Yes there has been a mass exodus of Puertoricans for many reasons, be it lack of access to medical care (like my father in law who lives in Caguas and is struggling with his daily dialysis needs at home), lack of work, loss of homes and lack of access to education and basic needs for their children (my sons left to be with my family in California while we stay behind to protect our home and repair the massive damage done by the hurricane on our cacao farm in Las Marias). We will keep going to the streets, connecting with the people and their needs because that's the right thing to do and what else can we do? Myself being a yoga teacher, massage therapist and birth doula have lost most of my income. My husband, an agronomist working in a reforestation project in sierra vérmeja in cabo rojo has maintained work but it expires in February (if not extended). We can't expect FEMA or the military or the government to reach everyone who desperately needs it so it is on the individuals who can help to do so.

Supplies needed to distribute are:
Water filters (sawyer or berkey)
Solar lamps
Solar battery systems
Inverters that can hooked to car battery
Non perishables
First aid kits
Tarps for roofs
Organic seeds
Baby supplies (diapers, wipes, formula, food)
Adult diapers
Medications for clinics and hospitals
Funds for food gas and on island supplies where available.
Supplies can be sent to for distribution to po box 1798, rincón pr 00677 or funds via PayPal to [email redacted]



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    • $100 
    • 6 yrs
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Vivienne Miranda Doula
Organizer
Punta Higuero Lighthouse, PR

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