c. 1999 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ Four months after Hurricane Mitch ripped through Central America and many weeks since the devastation caused by Mitch and its related mudslides faded from the headlines and television news programs, the patient _ and expensive _ work of rebuilding the shattered societies _ and lives _ of the region continues.

Church relief and aid agencies, both local and from the United States and other parts of the world, are in the forefront of that long and tedious effort and in mid-February got a potential shot in the arm for their efforts with the Clinton administration’s announcement it was proposing nearly $1 billion in supplemental aid for Central America.

How much of that money, if any, will be awarded to U.S.-based relief organizations remains uncertain. Yet relief officials in Honduras and Nicaragua _ the countries hardest hit by Mitch _ say they are optimistic.

U.S. Christian relief and development organizations have played a crucial role in relief efforts since Mitch devastated much of Central America last October, said USAID spokesperson Laura Gross. “Without these organizations we would not be able to help the hundreds, if not thousands, of people that need our assistance during a crisis,”said Gross.”We rely on them a lot. Without them, our food would not have been distributed.” The announcement of additional aid, delivered by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, brings total U.S. government contributions to these countries to more than $1.2 billion. It also acknowledges that although most of Central America is out of immediate danger, much of the hardest work remains undone.

Since the disaster, Catholic Relief Services, the relief and development arm of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church, has been one of the faith-based relief groups busy with that work.”We are in the process of moving out of an emergency phase to a reconstruction phase,”said Doug Ryan, CRS country director in Honduras, by telephone from his headquarters in Tegucigalpa.”The challenge right now is to get people back to work and restore a sense of balance, to normalize life as much as possible.” After scrambling to replant crops, the organization has turned its attention to rebuilding housing and water systems.”We want to make sure the water systems begin to function. That will be the bulwark against diseases like cholera,”said Ryan.

In Tegucigalpa, where Ryan and his 25-member CRS staff work, the storm killed thousands and left 100,000 people homeless.

Through an umbrella organization of international Catholic organizations, the Catholic church has pledged $500 million toward rebuilding in the aftermath of Mitch.

The threat of disease is a concern shared by all relief workers, said Laura Guimond, Mercy Corps International spokeswoman. From dengue fever to malaria to cholera, rampant disease is the norm where villagers are often forced to use the same fetid pools for bathing and drinking.

Mercy Corps, one of the world’s largest privately funded Christian relief and development organizations, has been spearheading an effort to replenish the region’s sorely depleted health clinics. “Typically, in cases like this, epidemics arise and we want to be prepared,”said Guimond.

Mercy Corps has also launched an ambitious rehabilitation program. Coined”food for work,”the program moves survivors off handouts by paying them to rebuild their own neighborhoods. But instead of cash, a food for work paycheck is good for a week’s ration of corn, rice, beans and vegetable oil.

Beverly Hinton, who co-directs the massive operation with her husband Jim, described food for work as”survival for many people _ because they have no food and no money to buy any (food).” The Hintons oversee 100 Honduran staff members who deliver USAID-donated food to 200 impoverished towns.”Many lost their homes, crops, jobs, everything, and have nothing. Food for work is a way for them to feed their families and rebuild their lives,”said Hinton.”They are physically capable and willing to help themselves _ they just need some assistance and encouragement to be able to get going again,”she said.

Mercy Corps’ food for work program is worth $1.8 million. The program will provide food for about 30,000 Hondurans through July.

While additional funds _ which could extend the program _ are by no means certain, Mercy Corps’ spokesperson said workers there are hopeful. “I am assuming that a portion will indeed be allocated to be spent by the development agencies who have worked so long and hard in the region _ like Mercy Corps and others,”said Guimond.

Catholic Relief Services, and other relief groups, are looking to implement similar programs throughout Honduras and Nicaragua.

Ryan said the benefits of food for work extend beyond the important tasks of feeding and rebuilding. The program empowers the participants”because people’s sense of self-worth is tied to their contribution,”he said.

The prospect of additional government funding would mean more homes in the town of Choluteca, about 70 miles south of Tegucigalpa, where World Relief, the aid arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, has been working on creating new housing. “Housing construction efforts are already underway,”said Arne Bergstrom, vice president of World Relief.”But we are limited by funding. Funding from the government would help organizations like World Relief reach the grassroots people in Honduras and Nicaragua.”Currently, Bergstrom said World Relief is negotiating with USAID for building materials and food.

The group plans to construct more than 1,500 homes, at a cost of about $1,300 each. The homes are little more than a concrete foundation covered with a galvanized roof _ the new owners even have to construct the walls out of mud. But Choluteca residents do not mind. For more than three months, many of the town’s tens of thousands of homeless have been fortunate to have a plastic sheet to wrap around themselves at night. “This will fulfill about 15 percent of the housing need,”said Bergstrom, grimly. World Relief estimates that the houses will shelter about 7,000 people.

Other U.S. faith-based organizations active in the region include the Baptist World Alliance, World Vision and Church World Service _ the relief and development arm of the National Council of Churches.

Working through partner churches in Honduras and Nicaragua, Church World Service has concentrated its $1.3 million efforts on delivering food, medicine and health kits.

Officials said the organization also took the unusual step of sending health care teams to the region.”We usually don’t do that,”said Donna Derr, CWS emergency response acting director.”But the devastation was so widespread.”So far, CWS has organized and partially funded 13 volunteer medical teams to regions hard-hit by Mitch.

The organization has also sent trained counselors to meet with groups and individuals in Honduras and Nicaragua. The goal, explained Derr, is to”work with people to deal with the long-term emotional issues that occur in a situation like this.””People are saying, `I am the only member of my family that made it out. What could I have done to save some of them?'”said Derr.”I think there is a lot of survivor guilt.”

DEA END ROCKWOOD