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Out of 800 people in Maya Ben’s and Rashik’s village, the earthquake left 5 people dead, 15 injured and many others trapped inside houses that had collapsed. The Sarpanch (village headman) organised some of the men to get the trapped people out of the rubble, and to take the injured people to hospitals in nearby Anjar, Bhuj and Gandhidham. The hospitals were very crowded with injured people from all the many towns and villages that had been affected by the quake.
At first, there was no clean water, no food and no shelter. So many villages were affected, and some of them were so far away from roads and towns, that it took time for help to get to them all. Finally after two days, caring individuals and aid agencies started to arrive with help. They brought food, water, clothes, bedding and tarpaulins for shelter. Later, some agencies brought tents, like the one Maya and Rashik’s grandmother still lives in.
There was a lot of rubble left after the quake. It all had to be cleared before people could build again. In the city, the army brought machines like diggers to help clear the rubble, but in the villages, people have cleared most of it themselves. Often they could find old bricks that can be used again, and pieces of wood and metal that could be recycled to make something new.
World Vision was one of the agencies that helped in Maya Ben’s village. They delivered supplies like lentils, rice, cooking oil, soap, toiletries and clean water. They brought family packs – everyday items like plates, bowls, buckets and mosquito nets to replace the things families lost in the quake. They provided seeds and fertiliser to help people begin to provide for themselves again. Next, they plan to help build a new school, community hall and health clinic, plus houses for villagers.
A community development worker will stay in the village until late 2003 to listen to the people’s needs and help them plan together. They will help people start new businesses and learn new skills so they can recover from the earthquake and get life back to normal.
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