Hello Everybody!
We’re in the Iloca area once more after having been in Santiago to launch a book: “Sueños de Alta Mar” (“Dreams of the High Seas”). We were able to meet up with all the friends who had accompanied me on the Round-the-World Regatta. This was a moving moment where we recalled our passage around Cape Horn and were able to speak of our “Let’s Get Back on our Feet, Chile! Challenge” (Desafío Levntemos Chile). Many thanks to SK Bergé, to Francisco Javier, Alberto and Ignacio for the care they put into the book presentation. And many thanks to my beloved children in charge of its sales.
For those of you unable to attend and who would like to buy the book, it will be sold at the “Feria Chilena del Libro”. The Feria has generously given this cause all the organization and infrastructure for its marketing. I am grateful to Marco Montalbetti and his dedication . He will be in charge of this project; “Diario La Tercera” has volunteered to promote it.
We ‘ll be inaugurating the first school built after the tsunami and earthquake. We know it will be a touching and meaningful moment—the proof that if we have passion and determination, we can do anything. Cristian and Tecnofast Atco, apart from having donated an incredible sum, have shown moving dedication and care.
However, without wanting to weaken your motivation, just the opposite in fact, we have to build more than 300 hundred schools that are on the ground or need major repairs. Wow!! That really seems like an impossible dream!!! But I believe that together we can do it.
I’m convince that real solidarity is efficiency and we are forced to be efficient, since, as is nearly always the case, we have three limiting factors which are: shortness of time, of monetary resources and of management.
But we’re improving little by little, more and more persons are willing to work as volunteers in this fine cause which is to get this beautiful country back on its feet.
Friday and Saturday, Rufino toured the fishing villages with the Under-Secretary for Fisheries and we were able to show how, together with the fishermen, we repaired the boats We are organised to donate 30 new motors this week. On Friday, 12 boats were able to go out fishing.
Yesterda, José Pedro travelled with his team to distribute school materials, books and backpacks in Iloca so the children would haveeverything they needed to start school on Monday when they went back. You can’t imagine how we felt when we saw the finished school. Furthermore, it had been painted by Alicia and her design team with a Selknam motif just like our dear Colorina. It’s moving, really moving.
In the meantime, Sergio and Juan Cristóbal are visiting all the devastated areas to define which new projects we should take on.
Anglo American has taken over the construction of the school for Constitución, Tumbes and Quirihue, donating US$ 10 million. Here is an example of true excellence!
We are concentrating this week on the Cauquenes school which will hold 1500 students. Friday we go to Juan Fernández Island where we are working on having the children back in school as soon as possible.
There is so much to tell you, so many persons involved, so many dreams to accomplish…I’ll have time later and anyway, Cristián loaned me his notebook, so I will get back to writing.
And bearing Hortensia in mind, that exemplary woman who lost nearly everything in the tsunami at Boyeruca but who ,with stirring fortitude, notified us that her hostal, La Laguna Azul, will be back in business for Easter, we, here at Desafío Levantemos Chile, keep on dreaming our impossible dream…
