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Tropical Storm Nate Hits Nicaragua
Our children, staff and volunteers are safe.
October 5, 2017
Central America has received heavy rainfall and flooding due to Tropical Storm Nate. Please see the below message from Marlon Velasquez, National Director of NPH Nicaragua. As always, NPH reaches out to those in need, especially in times of distress and disaster. Please join us in prayer for the families in Nicaragua and Honduras.
Dear beloved NPH family,
I want to inform you that the tropical storm Nate, on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, has the entire country on yellow alert with heavy rain and wind. The Red Cross already activated their Emergency Operations Center and mobilized volunteers all over the country to assist the most affected areas. On the other hand, our pequeños/as are safe in our home and thank God we are able to deal with the situation.
School classes were suspended today and tomorrow. The office staff went home early and is very probable that they don’t return tomorrow. These actions were taken because the rivers are overflowing and there are many trees down all over the highways. The south Pan-American Highway is closed due to collapsed bridges and damaged roads.
But not all Nicaraguans had the same luck as our pequeños. Today I had to drive to the city of Rivas and there I could truly see the complete disaster that Nate has caused so far. As an example, I received a call from the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages and the government entity the Ministry of Family, asking for our help to transport and give temporary shelter to the boys and girls of SOS because their facilities were flooded. They are now safe and staying at our old office location in San Jorge. Also, we picked up a family of three siblings and their parents that had their house flooded by the river. We found them on the main road and they will be momentary with us.
NPH Nicaragua has all the resources to face this natural disaster and to maintain the joyful spirit of our home with the correct safety measures. At this moment we have electricity because we are using our generator, but electricity is down in many parts of the country, which means no phone lines or internet. We will keep you informed as we have more information to share.
Paz y bien,
Marlon Velasquez
National Director, NPH Nicaragua
October 6, 2017
Reported by Andrea Carballo, Marketing Team Coordinator, NPH Nicaragua
Tropical Storm Nate has atrociously affected the Nicaraguan territories in its wake throughout the south central pacific zones.
There were 11 departments and 25 municipalities most vulnerable to flooding, the consequence of which has been 11 deaths, 7 missing persons and 10,000 injured; among them, children, youth, adults and the elderly.
Fortunately, NPH Nicaragua is okay, our family is safe, even though located close to some of the flooded zones.
As you may know, the department of Rivas has been one of the most heavily affected. One of the SOS children’s villages is located here and they have had to remove 36 boys and girls due to affected infrastructure.
The Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Nicaragua and Marlon Velásquez, National Director of NPH Nicaragua, united efforts so that 36 boys and girls from SOS could be brought to the NPH office in San Jorge, a place where NPH has supported them with sheets and mattresses to sleep on, food and potable water. All of this support is based on our values as a home, values of a true family, which were instilled by our founder, Father William Wasson.
Photo above: Huehuete, Carazo – Radio Nicaragua; Photos below: Town of Rivas – CCC Jairo Cajina
My dear NPH family,
Yesterday I went to visit our children that are in the NPH OneFamily program, who needed to be picked up on the road because of the flooding from the storm.
We were responding to a call from one of the older brothers, who explained that the water took everything and they had nothing to eat, so we went to see what was going on. When we arrived at their home, they were at school and only the mother was there. The house was all dark, the kitchen was empty, there was nothing to eat, the stove was off, and the pots on one side were proof that there was nothing at home to eat. The children arrived at home and they were happy to see us, their smiles showed that they were oblivious to the suffering and the worries of their parents. We shared what we had, and their mother was so happy to receive it. Then she also said thanks because she did not have any food to give to her children.
I was about to leave their home, when suddenly, I saw on the walls of their kitchen that they had written some of the values that we taught them during their life at NPH Nicaragua. They were so proud to say that they have not forgotten them. That really touched me, and makes me understand why Father Wasson really wanted us to be Pequeños no matter what; to live our philosophy of love to God, sharing, serving, studying and working so that we will always be as happy as the children were when we arrived to visit. Father Wasson always said that the key to success was not higher education or all the money you can get, success was being happy and having a family that you can call yours, and this is what I found with the Ochomogo children.
This coming Saturday we will visit the Ostional community. We were informed that it has really been damaged and they have no food, water or electricity. Once again, the soul of the Pequeño is calling us to do something about it. We are going to take food, clothes, blankets and some other basics that we can share with them.
I am really moved when I see our people trying to serve others during these hard times. We are very grateful to have enough food and supplies to keep our NPH family safe and secure, while also sharing with those who were affected by the tropical storm.
Please keep us in your prayers, that God may give us the courage to serve, and the goods to do it unconditionally,
Paz y Bien,
Marlon Velasquez
About NPH USA
NPH USA supports the homes, healthcare and educational programs of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.
Related Information:
• NPH Nicaragua