'But this one was different': Scout volunteer recounts Mexico earthquake experience

It was the 19th of September, I was working on my computer when I heard a very deep groan, the sound of the ground moving. I was far away from the centre of Mexico City, in a hilly area where earthquakes are usually very mild. But this one was different. I could feel it, it was very strong. I ran out of the house and as soon as it was over, I tried to contact my family but all the lines were jammed. My Twitter feed started to show the destruction, and I started to feel really frustrated for being so far from the areas affected and not being able to do anything. In the end my family was fine, but the city wasn’t. A few hours later, we organised a supply collection centre at my Scout group. And that same evening, a group of us Rovers and old Scouts, went to the destroyed areas to distribute the supplies. We came back very late, but nevertheless, the next morning we were already at one of the fallen buildings, helping to clear the rubble to find survivors. We were there all day long. Two persons were taken out alive but many were taken out covered with white cloth. In the meantime, my Scout group was still receiving supplies from local communities, and all of them had to be delivered. So we loaded a five-tonne truck and went to a very small town close to the epicentre, some 100km away from Mexico City. A group of Rovers, some old Scouts and I went to the site to distribute help in a small community where more than 380 people lost their homes and some 200 houses were about to collapse. During the next few days, Scouts of my group and of all Mexico helped in any way we could - removing rubble at the sites, sorting out the supplies and helping at the collection centres or helping to build provisional camps at the shelters. The situation seems stable now, but it is far from over. Thousands of people have been displaced after their buildings were classified as uninhabitable. The reconstruction has begun but it will take months or years before the victims get back to their normal lives. The Scouts are ready to keep helping. While the tragedy is fading from the news, we still need the support of the world for what is still to come. Enrique León, Asociacion Scout de Mexico A.C. volunteer You can also help by contributing to the relief efforts of the Scouts of Mexico by donating to their project on the Scout Donation Platform.