The Salesian then continues:

Without health professionals, care teams, medicines and facilities to treat the sick, there was nothing but divine consolation. First of all, bringing the sacraments to the sick. Then, accompanying the families of the deceased to the cemetery to pray. Through Masses, prayers, and spiritual assistance, they felt accompanied and comforted in these trying moments.

On the social level, about 1,800 families - out of 6,000 who live in the Province of Datem del Marañón - received food baskets in the months when they could not work regularly: in San Lorenzo, in the cities along the river, and in the indigenous communities.

The parish was able to provide this help thanks to the Peruvian “Don Bosco Foundation”, the Caritas of Yurimaguas, the Salesian Mission Office in Warsaw, its own resources, and the contribution of other private and state institutions.

A fundamental service for hundreds of people of San Lorenzo and the neighboring communities was to be able to go to the parish to find out what subsidies they could receive: the one for rural workers, for self-employed workers, the #Yomequedoencasa bonus, the Universal Family bonus. … Salesian Brother José Gallego has become an expert in subsidies and grants, various pension and administrative procedures; the Salesian parish was the only institution where those who did not have an Internet connection could still access these services.

And in terms of drugs and medicines, thanks to the help of the "Don Bosco Foundation", we were able to purchase anti-Covid-19 kits with ivermectin, azithromycin, and paracetamol for the communities of San Fernando, Kuyuntsa, Wijint, Andoas, Puerto Alegria, and for families of San Lorenzo.

The "Juntos por el Datem" campaign (Together for the Datem)

Never before has such broad support been achieved as in the city campaign "Together for the Datem". Undertaken and organized by the parish of San Lorenzo, it has attracted a torrent of funds as generous as the rivers of the Amazon. It was the miracle of solidarity that made it possible to purchase four oxygen concentrators and 104 cylinders to restore the breath of life to people infected with Covid-19 in the forgotten villages of the Province of Datem del Marañón. A radio play, a lottery with a motorcar as a prize, and other activities were organized with the unanimous support of citizens, businesses, organizations, and municipalities.

Aid has also come from abroad. I was touched by the enthusiasm of the communities. For example, one community - San Isidro - had no money to send. And so they collected the salted fish, brought it to the parish, and allocated the money from the sale to the collection.

• Title Title
•  

Tweet