Manitoban plans trip to Ecuador to help survivors rebuild after deadly earthquake

A Steinbach teacher who organizes a yearly educational trip to Ecuador says this year, the visit will focus on helping survivors rebuild their lives.

At least 350 people are dead and 2,068 injured after the7.8 magnitude quake struck the South American countrySaturday.

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MarkReimer, director of the Manitoba to Ecuador Project which started out in 2011 as a soccer clubtargetingat risk children, said he's worried about his friends, a large extended family who live in one house in Puerto Lopez, one of the communities hit hard.

"The feeling of hopelessness is really overwhelming. I have friends whose houses collapsed. They don't have a place to live. Friends of this family of 26 that are absolutely dear and important to my heart don't have a place to live. I know if I was there I couldn't create a place for them to live either but I could help them clean up the mess and help walk beside them," he said Monday.

Reimer, who's made the trek to Ecuador eight times, said he's been glued to social media for the latest updates from his friends since the disaster struck.

"I'm grateful and I say this with fear and trepidation that there are no deaths in Puerto Lopez among my friends, but yesterday night I started hearing that friends of my friends did die in the earthquake."

He's now trying to raise money and clothing to take to Ecuador this summer to help survivors.

"We are looking for footwear and clothingfor all ages and sizes. We need clothes for kids as young as three months old and adults in any size, in any age that we can find," he said Monday.

Reimer said the group's July 2 departure date is still on despite the earthquake.

The Manitoba to Ecuador Project has evolved over the years to include working with local daycares and the medical centre.But the mandate of the group this year will go far beyond that to trying to help in whatever way possible.

"I have a team of 20 people going down this summer. We are going to do whatever we can to help. If I could help find someone who knows something about construction, or people who are willing just lend their hands, lift, carry, shovel, clean, I'd be happy to extend the size of our group from 20 to however many people I could find to come down to help out the new angle of what will be required in Puerto Lopez."

He said he already has a lot of support.

"The Mennonite Central Committee runs a series of thrift shops. They have made it very clear that they will provide me with as much clothing as I can take down. We're flying with an airline that's allowing us two pieces of checked baggage per person. And so there's 20 of us, 40 bags, 50 pounds each bag. That's a lot of clothing. So we're looking for footwear and clothing for all ages and sizes. We need clothes for kids as young as three months old and [for] adults, any size and age that we can find."