At ten minutes past midnight, Florencio Ávalos, the first of the 33 miners trapped underground in the San José mine to be rescued, emerged into the fresh air amid applause from the crowd present in the ‘Camp of Hope’. It was the last of 70 days of confinement, darkness, anxiety and fear, uncertainty and expectation. The miners’ ordeal has become one of the most emotional pages in the history of the country. Over the last months, Chile has demonstrated the impact of the Power of Humanity.
The Chilean Red Cross is proud of the work of its volunteers who provided constant and unfailing support to the families of ‘the 33’ during the entire ordeal. Many feelings are running through the hearts and minds of people around the world who are seeing these images. These are men and women of all ages who decided to stay with those who were living through the most difficult moments one can imagine, not knowing what had become of a father, a son, a husband or a brother, not knowing whether they were dead or alive, and not knowing how or when they would see them again.
The Chilean Red Cross volunteers kept them company, always ready to listen, to accompany, to support them. Thanks to their actions and dedication, the miners’ families did not feel alone and they were better prepared to face the endless days of expectation and uncertainty.
Working in shifts, some 40 Red Cross volunteers ensured a permanent presence among the 33 miners’ families and friends, offering them constant support, as their emotions swung back and forth between expectation and anxiety. The Red Cross also took an active role in helping to coordinate the activities of other humanitarian organizations present in the camp as well as coordination with the authorities.
"Among other tasks, they took care of the older people present in the camp, ensuring a good coordination with the health authorities to make sure they got their regular medicines and treatments, without having to travel back to Copiapó,” explains Jorge Orellana, National Health Director of the Chilean Red Cross. “They also made sure they received their pensions. The support provided by the volunteers covered many details and aspects of everyday living which made the families’ situation easier to bear.”
“Many times, when we see a Red Cross emblem, we imagine a box full of humanitarian relief goods,” noted Jorge Orellana. “But here, we are offering more than material help – we are offering a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. This way, the families never felt abandoned.”
Chile is celebrating its bicentennial in 2010. But this has been a year during which the Chilean people have faced grief in many ways. Last February, nature reminded them of its unimaginable strength and, almost seven months after the earthquake, the Chilean Red Cross is still working tirelessly within communities, to make sure all those affected begin to recover their normal lives and regain confidence in a better future for them and their children.
And the Chilean Red Cross will remain at the side of the 33 miners and their families for as long as they are needed.