By Valentina Platt-Higgins
Since two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela within a minute of each other on June 24, my brother and I have been following the situation closely with our family since my mom is from Venezuela.
The first quake measured 7.2 on the Richter Scale and the second 7.5. Both caused widespread destruction, trapping and killing thousands of people, many of whom are still missing.
Through this all, I have followed individual stories, especially those of children. In the midst of such devastation, I’ve also found moments of hope.
I have found inspiration in the Venezuelan civilians who have become their own rescue force, digging through debris with their bare hands.
Take, for example, Wilmer Antonio Cruz, now known as El Topo Venezolano, whose determination and courage in rescuing many people serve as a symbol of the strength of many Venezuelans who refused to give up, and continue searching for survivors.
The story of Tsunami, a border collie who was once a stray in Caracas before being rescued and trained, amazed me. Despite his harsh past, he, along with many others, saved many lives.
Within days of the catastrophe, countries from all over the world set aside their political differences and came together. Rescue teams risked their lives and sacrificed time away from their families to help people they had never met.
This gave me hope and demonstrated that when a tragedy happens, people are still able to put their differences aside and come together for the common good.
Out of those many survivors, many of the children rescued are now orphaned. Many have lost their entire families and are now vulnerable. These children need protection and education now more than ever; they are the ones who will help rebuild Venezuela.
My brother and I felt that simply watching the details of this tragedy was not enough. We wanted to do something to help. As a result, we have started fundraising through GoFundMe to raise awareness and support for Venezuela.
Although we are witnessing this tragedy from afar, we hope our community can help bring hope and support to children whose lives have been changed forever.
Our GoFundMe is: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/risingforvenezuela. Our Instagram is @RisingForVenezula.
