When her flight arrived in Ecuador late Saturday night, Christina [she asked to use only her first name] found herself faced with the perilous possibility of deportation. International Customs officials at Mariscal Sucre International Airport — the country’s busiest travel hub, located some 11 miles east of Quito — weren’t satisfied with her documentation. After Christina’s last visit in 2007, the airport staff had stamped her old passport with the nation’s official seal. Yet her new passport lacked said stamp, and because security didn’t have records of her 2007 departure on file, they were threatening to deport her.
Throughout the night, Christina tried frantically to get in touch with her mother in Chicago, then her roommate in Boston — hoping the latter could find and scan her old passport’s stamp to satisfy the authorities. After a few unsuccessful attempts to reach her roommate and nearby friends, she was finally able to acquire the proof she needed. However, she’d inadvertently awoken several friends and family members back in the United States, and when they checked her messages and their news feeds simultaneously, headlines about a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Ecuador stood out.
“My mom was the first one to let me know what was going on,” Christina told me via Facebook messenger on Wednesday, following the news that a second magnitude-6.2 quake had struck just off the coast. “No one in the airport or in international customs had even mentioned it.”
This made sense, as the capital city and the surrounding area managed to avoid the brunt of the first earthquake’s force. The airport, after a thorough review by safety officials, was later deemed “fully operational” and ready to receive “an influx of flights with emergency materials and personnel.” But none of the staff on board Christina’s flight out of Dallas had mentioned anything about the quake upon their arrival. Nor did any of the security personnel awaiting proof of her 2007 visit and departure.
“In the airport, there wasn’t any mention of it,” Christina explained. “Business went on as usual and they didn’t give any notice, from what I could tell.”
Seeing as how Boston-area teachers are currently on spring vacation, Christina decided to spend the time off visiting her father’s family in Quito and Cumbayá, a rural parish just east of the capital. Because of their location, none of her immediate and extended relatives were affected by Saturday’s earthquake directly, but news of the increasing damage was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Meanwhile, the government had instituted what Christina referred to as a “48-hour awareness watch” for the benefit of its citizens and visitors.
“Many stores were closing early, and people weren’t allowed to gather in public buildings like churches.”
Still, the daily life of Christina’s Ecuadorian family seemed mostly unchanged. Everyone stuck to their work and school schedules, so she followed suit and kept to her plans for the week-long trip. Yet she noticed something she hadn’t expected — a sense of unity and spirit of connectedness that she hadn’t expected to witness.
“At my sisters’ high school and university, teachers and administrators talked about the victims and the destruction. They asked everyone to donate and help out,” she recalled. “One medical college even gave their students permission to skip class to go help people out.”
Esmeraldas, one of the coastal provinces hardest-hit by Saturday’s earthquake, is also one of the poorest places in the country. As Christina put it, their situation is “really heartbreaking since they already have so little, but have suffered the most.” So the donations from the people of Quito and Cumbayá comes as welcome news.
Christina didn’t grow up in Ecuador. She’s a Chicago girl and loves deep dish. Visiting her father’s homeland has always felt more like destination tourism than an arrival at the homestead. But when she saw the responses to the quakes, she felt connected to Ecuador in a way she never had before. Especially when her father donated thousands of dollars of medical supplies to the rescue and relief efforts, as the two closest hospitals had been destroyed.
“It’s amazing how the people of Ecuador have pulled together and volunteered to go out there and try to help,” she said. “This is my first trip to Ecuador as an adult, and honestly I never, ever thought I’d feel this way.”
Christina’s growing sense of pride reflects a country that has staged monumental rescue and relief operations. From organizations as big as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to an American pro surfer and his charity organization, monetary donations and supplies are pouring in from all over the nation, the surrounding region and the world. As The New York Times indicated, however, the real meat of the work is on the ground in Ecuador by Ecuadorians:
About 4,600 members of the National Police and 10,400 members of the armed forces were mobilized as part of the emergency response. Hundreds of doctors, health professionals and rescue workers were heading toward the hardest-hit areas.
As Christina explained, workers must travel into affected areas with their own food and equipment because “there is no place to stay.” That kind of dedication, “the way people straight up left their homes to help [is what makes me] proud to be from here.”
Her mother, who’s been “freaking out” about her daughter’s trip due to the back-to-back natural disasters, would prefer that she return home as soon as possible. But she can’t bring herself to cut the trip short, and has instead spent much of her extra time helping out however she can.
“I donated some water, oatmeal, and formula,” she said while describing a photo sent over Facebook messenger. A second picture revealed a long line of tables covered with goods waiting to be picked up. “The [picture was taken] at the local grocery store [showing goods] that people have donated.”
At its heart, Christina’s story is a simple, but powerful one. She arrived a tourist, and, by watching how people united after a tragedy (and getting involved), she grew more connected to her culture. Moreover, it’s a testament to the Ecuadorian people, who banded together in a time of need.
If you would like to donate to the earthquake relief efforts in Ecuador, Word of Mouth — a creative agency based in Quito — has started an online campaign called #GiveMe5ForEcuador. The crowdfunding effort, which has raised over $12,000 as of this writing, is hosted by Indigogo’s Generosity website. The current goal is $100,000.
