Response to February 27, 2010 Earthquake
Iglesia Pentecostal de Chile
March 2010 

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

Introduction

The Chilean earthquake of 2010 brought severe tremors at 3:34 AM local time on the 27th of February of 2010. The quake registered 8.3 on the Richter scale according to the Seismological Service of Chile and 8.8 according to the Geological Service of the United States. The epicenter was located just offshore near the towns of Curanipe and Cobquecura, about 93 miles northwest of Concepción, 39 miles southwest of Cauquenes, and 29 ½ miles deep in the Earth's crust.

The areas most affected by the earthquake were Valparaíso, Metropolitan Santiago, O'Higgins, Maule, Biobío, and the Araucanía, areas that contain more than 13 million inhabitants and nearly 80 percent of the total population of the country. In the regions of Maule and Biobío, the earthquake reached an intensity of 9 on the Mercalli scale, and destroyed a great part of the cities of Constitución, Concepción, Cobquecura, and the port of Talcahuano. In the regions of Araucanía, O'Higgins, and Metropolitan Santiago, the earthquake tipped 8 in intensity and brought about a great deal of destruction in the Santiago city limits, in Rancagua, and in rural communities. The death toll as of this writing stands at more than 700. Close to 500,000 homes are uninhabitable and some two million people are displaced, in the worst natural tragedy Chile has experienced since 1960. President Michelle Bachelet declared "a state of catastrophe with suspended constitutional rights" in the regions of Maule and Biobío.

A strong tsunami hit the Chilean coasts as a byproduct of the earthquake, devastating several communities that had already been hit by the earthquake itself. The Juan Fernández islands which did not feel the earthquake were overrun by the waves, which destroyed the main island's only community, San Juan Bautista.

During the earthquake and aftershocks, close to one and a half million homes were affected, of which 500,000 were affected so severely that they are undergoing evaluation with regard to whether they can be rebuilt or must be demolished. Since summer in the Southern Hemisphere is ending and temperatures are falling, the needs for housing must be addressed immediately. The effects of the earthquake will be felt for a long time, not only because of the material damage caused by the ongoing aftershocks, but also because of the ongoing emotional trauma experienced by people who suffered directly from the quake's devastating effects and the anxiety produced by the aftershocks.

Objectives

General Objective: The Pentecostal Church of Chile (IPC) and its Shalom Center, in partnership with the Luis Iturriaga Construction Company, offers the following holistic response for the families of the church that were affected by the earthquake and the tsunami of February 27, 2010, by constructing emergency housing units and providing basic emotional and spiritual attention.

First Specific Objective: Blessing Cabins

To fabricate emergency housing units, cabins for 200 families affected by the earthquake. Ten percent of these families will be poor local community families who are not members of the IPC and 180 families will be poor local community families who are members of the IPC. To choose from the large number of families in need of housing, the selection will be made according to Biblical priority, with a first emphasis toward attending to widows, children and those in most critical need.

 Second specific objective: Doors of hope

To train leaders and pastors of the IPC in primary and secondary attention in trauma healing and strengthening resilience.

I.  Participants

1. Pentecostal Church of Chile
2. Luis Iturriaga Construction Company
3. Shalom Center

II.  Development 

A.  Stage 1 (March to July, 2010)
First Objective: Blessing Cabins

1. Design of the cabin and pricing of materials
2. Purchase of materials for the first 20 cabins.
3. Installation of the assembly line for prefabrication of cabin sections in the roofed soccer court of the Curicó Church directed by Luis Iturriaga Construction and staffed by volunteers.
4. Survey of the neediest displaced families.
5. Selection of plots, preparation of the foundation, installation of pilings.
6. Transport of prefabricated sections in small trucks.
7. On-site assembly of the cabins.
8. Service of blessing of the cabins.
9. Responsibilities of beneficiary families.

• Fill out the survey form
• Prepare the cabin site by clearing debris as necessary.
• Assist in the measurement and preparation of the foundation and the installation of the pilings.
• Report to the office of the church when and if the cabin is no longer needed, so the cabin can be disassembled, picked up, and given to another needy family.

10.  The program will replicate the process in each of the three affected regions.

• Locations near Curicó will receive the completed sections ready for on-site assembly.
• The program directors will seek to establish other assembly lines for cabin sections located in churches in the sixth and eighth regions.
• In preparation for this, IPC Pastoral Superintendents, a master carpenter, and a site administrator will be brought to Curicó to receive training in all aspects of the project, both for the Cabins of Blessing and the Doors to Hope programs.
• The program staff will investigate and report on assistance and benefits offered by both local and national governments.

Second Objective—Doors to Hope

1. The program staff will design a basic curriculum for primary and urgent intervention as a first step in trauma healing and the strengthening of resilience both for adults and for children.
2. Training will be offered to Pastoral Superintendents, Pastoral couples, lay leaders, teachers, and others using the primary intervention curriculum in various workshops.
3. Those who participate in the training workshops will then offer primary care to children and laypeople of the church.
4. Primary intervention in schools and workplaces will be offered by those who participated in the workshops.
5. The initial workshops will be offered by the eight members of the Shalom Center volunteer staff who are certified in the Seminar for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) of Eastern Mennonite University. The workshops will be offered in Curicó and in the three most affected regions in coordination with the Pastoral Superintendents.

B.  STAGE 2 (from July, 2010 to March, 2011)
First Objective: Blessing Cabins

1. Follow-up with families who received a Blessing Cabin.
2. Support to petition drives before the local and national governments for the construction of permanent housing.
3. Cabins may be moved and transferred to other families, according to the need.
4. Cabins may continue to be built on a smaller scale, depending on the budget and the need.
5. In the event that construction is stopped, the soccer court will be cleaned and surplus building materials distributed to where there is a need.

Second Specific Objective: Doors of Hope

1. STAR II course from Eastern Mennonite University will be offered to those who are already certified in STAR I.
2. The Shalom Center will offer spiritual retreats focusing on trauma healing and resilience strengthening to Pastoral couples in the three most affected regions.
3. The Shalom Center will offer a spiritual retreat focusing on trauma healing for people who may show symptoms of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma
4. Workshops in trauma healing and resilience for laypeople in local churches continue (secondary intervention).

III.  Budget (in U.S. Dollars)

  STAGE 1

First Objective: Blessing Cabins

Cost per cabin:                     $1,400.00 x 200 cabins                 $280,000.00
Transportation, foundation, and assembly per cabin: $ 105.00        $21,000.00
Transportation for survey in Curicó area:                                        $ 210.00
Telephones and transportation for survey beyond Curicó:                  $ 105.00
Workshops for administrators, carpenters, and Superintendents:         $ 700.00
Labor costs (35% of cabin cost)                                                $98,000.00

Second Objective: Doors of Hope

12 workshops in primary intervention:                                 $1,250.00
3 coordinating meetings                                                    $ 310.00

  STAGE 2

First Objective: Blessing Cabins

Transportation for follow-up in Curicó area                         $ 210.00
Transfer and moving of cabins                                          $ 700.00

Second Objective: Doors of hope

Transportation and cost of the STAR materials                 $3,100.00
3 Retreats for pastoral couples                                      $1,250.00
3 Coordinating meetings                                              $ 310.00
1 Retreat for volunteer staff                                       $ 510.00
12 Workshops for secondary intervention                   $1,250.00

Total cost of Project                                                                              $408,905.00
Labor cost is being covered by the IPC                                                   -98,000.00
Total cost still needed                                                                             $310.905.00

In addition to the IPC covering the labor cost for the building of cabins (the workers are volunteers), the women of the church will be providing meals during the work day, and, when needed, a small per diem for workers to cover their bus fare to the work site.

IV. Administration

National Level Responsibilities

Treasury of the IPC:

1. Control of disbursement of funds
2. Handling of receipts and accounting
3. Final report

Project coordinators

1. Advertising and installation
2. Coordination of donations
3. Coordination between Curicó (IPC central office) and Regions
4. Communication with Pastoral Superintendents and local pastors
5. Coordination of inter-regional transportation
6. Coordination of dates and places for workshops
7. Coordination of funding grants and regional financial reports
8. Research into government benefits
9. Calls for coordinating meetings

Trauma Healing and Resilience Facilitator

1. Develop materials for stages one and two.
2. Carry out training and installation for primary and secondary interventions
3. Carry out retreats for trauma healing and resilience
4. Coordination of STAR II course
5. Accountable for the second objective: Doors of Hope

Construction team

1. Design of the cabins
2. Pricing and purchase of materials in Curicó
3. Supervision of the production of the cabins
4. Accountable for the first objective: Blessing Cabins

REGIONAL Job descriptions

  Pastoral Superintendent

1. Project supervision
2. Selection of the project host church
3. Appointment of the installation and master installer
4. Coordination of travel to and from workshops
5. Selection of people to be trained in primary intervention
6. Coordination of installation in the region

Regional Administrator

1. Accountability for and elaboration of reports regarding use of all funds disbursed by the national treasurer
2. If Curicó is not accessible, pricing and purchase of other building materials
3. Supervision of volunteers
4. Follow-up to regional survey of need

Master Carpenter

1. Supervising the installation of pilings
2. Supervising the prefabrication of sections according to the blueprint
3. Ensure efficient use of building materials
4. Ensure the safety of the volunteers

V. Blueprints

Plans in Spanish are available upon request

VI. Primary emotional intervention

Sample materials in Spanish are available upon request

To view the latest report from the Pentecostal Church in Chile click here.