So thankful for lessons from charity work
A CATLINS woman says she is ‘‘so thankful’’ for the lessons she learned helping out at an orphanage in Guatemala, in the wake of the Fuego volcano disaster in June, and would encourage other people to go overseas to volunteer.
Susan McLay, who returned home to her family in South Otago for Christmas, said life had carried on in the volcanostricken San Antonio Aguas Calientes region, where she was based.
Since late 2017, Ms McLay worked with the Hope for Homes Mission at an orphanage for children with special needs, about 12km from the volcano.
The area was one of those most affected by the original volcanic eruption, which shot ash 10km into the atmosphere and buried villages on the volcano slopes. The area was then affected again by a series of smaller aftereruptions.
Ms McLay had to keep children inside to prevent them from inhaling pervasive potentially choking ash, and she stayed put to help out while recovery work was going on.
As many as 200 people are thought to have died in the June disaster and there were further eruptions in November, triggering mass evacuations.
Ms McLay felt it was time to come home for Christmas— but leaving the scene of the disaster was not easy, and she questioned whether she was making the right decision.
‘‘When I left, the volcano was still rather active, and recently folks were evacuated again as a precaution from recent flows, but I believe they are all back in their villages again now.’’
The people there were ‘‘resilient’’, she said.
‘‘The road through Los Lotes [a village] which was wiped out by the eruption, had been reopened, and most days it was passable.
At this stage she did not have any plans to return, but she hoped one day it would be possible — and she planned to do more charity work overseas, though not in Central America.
The whole experience was lifechanging, she said, particularly learning to take care of, appreciate and respect children with special needs.
‘‘They all have amazing little personalities and are so very special,’’ she said.
She said she felt her religious beliefs had been strengthened by her experiences in San Antonio Aguas Calientes.
‘‘I know not everyone can pack up and leave to go to a third world country, but I would really encourage others to step outside [their routines and comfort zones] and find ways to serve someone else,’’ she said.
‘‘The world could use more folks willing to stop their busy lives to input into the lives of others.’’