In the early hours of February 27th, central Chile was convulsed by one of the most powerful earthquakes in history. The quake, 8.8 in magnitude, left hundreds dead, collapsed houses, buckled roads, and unleashed tsunamis along the Pacific that have left entire coastal communities in ruins.
By contributing to the Chilean Disaster Recovery Fund, your donation feeds small grants that will make a huge difference in these devastated communities, not just today, but for a sustainable future. Donate now!
Greengrants raises money for disaster funds in response to requests from our advisors on the ground—in situations when our networks and approach are best suited to make a lasting difference for impacted communities. Greengrants’ Southern Cone and Andes Advisory Boards have united in solidarity and asked Greengrants to appeal to you to help support the victims of the earthquake and tsunamis.
Locally and from abroad, immediate aid responses have been slow and focused on the most pressing needs—rescue efforts, water, food, and safety. Yet, as Chileans begin to pick up the pieces, deeper blows to infrastructure and traditional livelihoods have left dozens of communities at a complete loss. Along the coast, where 30-foot waves obliterated buildings and docks and carried fishing boats into the streets, many families have lost not just their belongings, but their entire way of life. Community fishers and other small-scale producers do not have the means to recover from this catastrophe, leaving thousands in need of support after the electricity returns and disaster aid has departed. Several of the affected villages are places where Greengrants has made small grants to support sustainable fishing and coastal management—work that now has been significantly set back.
In the coming weeks and months, small grants in this region can have an enormous impact on the speed and shape of recovery—rebuilding sustainable livelihoods, recuperating natural resources, and renewing the voices of affected communities in decision-making processes.
We urge you to consider making a gift today to the Chilean Disaster Recovery Fund. Please contact us with questions or for additional information.