BLOG: I Have an Earthquake Tracker on My Phone

I was at the river when it happened. After a hot, sunny June afternoon in the water, the push notification from the earthquake tracker app on my phone delivered the intestine dropping news. Two enormous earthquakes had hit the northern coastal region of Venezuela. One after the other, the second one cut through the aftershocks. I opened my messages to see Dabi relaying the news to our group of friends. His family lives in Caracas, and all we knew at first was that his immediate family was physically okay. Then communications stopped.

Since that day, we’ve learned that the apartment building Dabi would have returned to in some future day is no more, that his uncle’s home is gone, that the government of Venezuela tries to impede rescue of those trapped under the rubble, tries to intercept food for the survivors. Since that day, thunderstorms rolled in, and while rain water may have bought some survivors under the rubble more time as they wait for rescue, many more have succumbed to the flash floods.

There is a reason I have an earthquake tracker app on my phone. Ten years ago, I moved to a region of the country where earthquakes are infrequent, yet historically devastating. In the Pacific Northwest, the Cascadia Subduction Zone has caused documented tsunamis reaching Japan from across the Pacific. These are earthquakes passed down in native oral history. These are earthquakes that sink entire forests into the sea, and any day now there’s a chance one such event could take hundreds of thousands of lives in the Pacific Northwest.

And much like Venezuela, we have a government that withholds aid from people who oppose our dictatorship. If you live in a blue state or city, you know the cruelty of the federal government can be wielded as a punishment. Turn over the voter records, let ICE into your cities, or let your people suffer from natural disasters. I live in an area of the world where an earthquake could devastate millions of lives and the government may vindictively withhold aid.

Venezuelans are saving each other while fighting against the regime. I want to help them. I want to believe in a world where people would help me and my neighbors, if and when the worst case comes. Destruction of this scale can only be repaired with aid from around the world.

That’s why when Aphy Ray emailed Fawnduu and I to talk about organizing a fundraiser, of course we said yes. Our friend Dabi is someone very important to us, and his heart is in Caracas. What a relief it is to do something like this with friends, to be able to collaborate and not be alone.

What Can I Do?

Fawnduu and I made illustrations and stickers featuring natural wildlife symbols of Venezuela. I chose the flor de mayo orchid and jaguar, while Fawnduu did the troupial in the araguaney foliage. You can receive these prints and stickers by donating at least $20 to a Venezuelan organization. Organizations can be found at https://donarseguro.com/en

Once you do, send a receipt to Aphy at printsforvenezuela at gmail dot com. Aphy will be matching the first $1000 donations dollar-for-dollar and managing the email. They’ll give Fawnduu and I the recipient information so we can mail you your stickers and prints at the end of July. The prints/stickers will be coming from us separately in a plain envelope with a stamp, the most economical option.

I want to thank Saturn Stickers for printing my jaguars at a lower rate for the cause. I love working with them, and if you’re looking for a place to print stickers in Portland, I can’t recommend them enough.

And of course, thank you. Thank you for caring and reading and sharing. Even if you’re not in a position to donate something, your compassion and thoughtfulness towards others is a gift, and sharing our fundraiser can help encourage people to give. At time of writing, we’re about a third of the way towards that $1000 marker. Thank you!! And if you’re reading this after our drive has concluded its run, please consider donating to one of these organizations anyway. Healing from an earthquake of this magnitude takes a long time, even under the best of circumstances. It’s never too late to make a difference.

Dios bendiga a Venezuela.