Trending Topics

Rapid Response Team Reports Accomplishments in Hurricane Ravaged Guatemala

The David McAntony Gibson Foundation (DMGF) is a grass roots Canadian non-governmental organization that provides capacity building programs in post-conflict nations and disaster relief services to large-scale catastrophes around the globe.

DMGF used its operational arm Global Medic to dispatch a seven member Rapid Response Team to Hurricane ravaged Guatemala in October 2005. Hurricane Stan dumped torrential rains on the Central American nation. The rains caused mass flooding and triggered wide spread mudslides that flattened remote villages. Several thousand civilians lost their lives and more than a quarter of a million lost their homes becoming instant refugees.

The Global Medic team worked in Santiago Atitlan. The team managed to accomplish the following:
* Provide over one million litres of clean drinking water
* Donate over $55,000 worth of emergency medicines
* Build water purification systems in three remote villages
* Help vaccinate thousands of patients

The team was comprised of four Toronto paramedics, two Toronto police officers, and a water sanitation engineer who volunteered their own time to help the people of Guatemala.

As part of our ongoing Guatemala assistance programs, DMGF is shipping down a 40-foot sea container with 40,000 pounds of parboiled rice. This rice will be used to help feed the thousands that are still displaced. DMGF worked alongside its funding community and local groups to help raise the funds to cover the costs of shipping. These groups included the Hispanic-Canadian Alliance of Ontario and the Spanish Club at Westin Collegiate. The students at Westin Collegiate held a number of fundraisers including a Tortilla Tuesday event in an effort to help grow their sense of being global citizens.

The Global Medic team will meet the student fundraisers and show off the container of rice. Presentations about the mission will be made. This is an excellent opportunity to commend the volunteer work of Toronto’s frontline rescuers and show positive aspects of our inner city schools and their remarkable students.