by Todd Mickelson | Executive Director of Friends of Chimbote
The pandemic that we are living through has provoked deep reflections from my life in two worlds. While we struggle through the health and economic destruction of this virus in the United States, our resources to fight this battle are significant.
As the Executive Director of Friends of Chimbote, my other world is in the poorest barrios of Chimbote, Peru. Our Mission was founded and continues to operate to serve the least of our brothers and sisters as called for by Christ in Matthew 25.
I returned to Fargo on March 14 from a week-long Mission Trip to Chimbote that included a team from FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) Ministries. We built three wooden homes, assessed community needs, and worshipped. It was truly a miraculous trip with many blessings and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Peru. On March 15, President Vizcarra closed the country of Peru. All Peruvians have been quarantined ever since. The quarantine will last 105 days if it ends on the target date of June 30.
This is devastating for the poor we serve who need to work each day to buy food, water, medicine, and basic supplies. The poor of Chimbote are a cash society. During our Mission Trip, we spent each day with these Chimbotanos as we removed their shanties and built their wooden homes. We witnessed that they do not have two days of food in their homes. These poorest barrios do not have running water or sewers.
This drastic quarantine (with military and police enforcement) is necessary to prevent widespread infection and death. The country is plagued with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and other conditions like weakened immune systems from poor diet and hygiene that make COVID-19 so deadly. Combine that with the lack of ICU beds and ventilators (350 ventilators for 35 million people) and the results could be even more disastrous. The virus is spreading in the crowded living conditions of the poor.
We are doing all that we can to alleviate the suffering—distributing food, water, medicine, and facilitating telephone health calls for Mission beneficiaries who have COVID-19 symptoms but cannot get in to see a doctor. The care packages that we provide cost $18 and include food and water for five days for a family of four. Many of the barrios have organized Olla Comuns (Common Pot) where neighbors work together to cook for their block and provide food for those most in need. We are providing supplies. Even the city of Chimbote has asked for our help with food supplies for the residents of the poorest barrios. Unfortunately, we do not have enough funds to meet the city’s request.
The sobering fact is the majority of our beneficiaries do not exist in the government’s system. They do not have a bank account or identification to receive the small amount of funds available from the national government ($223 for the 105 days).
A powerful and favorite hymn that comes to mind in these conditions is based on Psalm 34: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” The privilege and burden of our Mission and living in two worlds is to provide the voice of the poor even when we too suffer and struggle. Our Mission workers in Chimbote and our beneficiaries ask us “please do not forget us.” We humbly bring forth their cry.
We trust in God and will get through this to continue to impact and transform the lives of the poorest of the poor in Chimbote, Peru. We pray to continue Christ’s work for another four decades. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to make this possible. We ask for your continued prayers and support.