• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Gift Catalog
  • Donate
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Appalachia – West Virginia
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rosebud Reservation – South Dakota
      • Española – New Mexico
  • Projects
  • Give
    • Giving Options:
      • Donate Now
      • Gift Catalog
      • Ways to Give
      • Philanthropy
  • Impact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Impact Stories Peru

Peru Community Partner Vaults Hurdles to Build Life-Giving Plant

Everyone in the community participated oxygen-plant

With characteristic single-minded determination, Global Volunteers’ Country Host Partner Miguel Rodríguez led staff and supporters of Sagrada Familia on a campaign of mercy in Lima, Peru. In four months, they’ve overcome ingrained obstacles to supply oxygen tanks to COVID-19 patients who aren’t adequately treated at medical facilities. After resident children fundraised virtually, the hardworking staff and local people raised the building and imported equipment to supply neighbors with precious oxygen. Read this inspiring account of their efforts:


In September 2020, Peru became the world’s deadliest COVID-19 hot spot by a wide margin. At the peak of the outbreak, the country had only 20 percent of the oxygen needed to treat its citizens. The shortage of the life-preserving resource meant public hospitals asked patients to buy their own oxygen tanks, which was out of reach for suffering children and adults in the shanty towns surrounding Sagrada Famlia. As an example, one family reported to have spent USD 6,800 in one week – more than the average yearly income – to supply a relative with oxygen for one week.

This situation touched the heart of the resident children of Sagrada Familia, who understand well suffering because of lack of access to adequate health care. Founder Miguel Rodríguez recalled they asked to use what they have – their talents – to help solve this crisis for their neighbors. While at first, it seemed an unreachable goal, the children persisted, and together with the staff, the plan was hatched.

  • The oxygen plant was built adjacent to the clinic on campus
  • The construction took four months oxygen plant
    The whole project took four months
  • Everyone in the community participated  oxygen-plant
    Everyone in the community participated
  • hundreds in the neighboring communities died due to COVID-19 oxygen plant
    Miguel (left) directed construction adjacent to the clinic on campus.

Sagrada Familia hosted an online “lunch and live show” event on September 26,2020 to raise funds for an oxygen plant on the Community’s campus.

They explained that hospitals have been full for so long that everyone must find oxygen and learn how to fill oxygen tanks for their relatives through their own means. And it is at home that patients recover shortly after they come out of ICU. They knew the difficulty ahead to build a facility to respond to the need, but they also refused not to try.

The online “guests” paid a $20 or more to enjoy the children’s typical Peruvian dances over the Zoom online platform. Miguel also appealed to local companies to double and triple the gathered donations. The event was a success, with up to 300 online attendees from Peru, Europe, and the U.S. donating approximately $20,000. This got them one-third of the way to hiring a contractor to construct the building. Undaunted, Miguel and the staff determined to erect the structure themselves, enduring the grueling bureaucratic permitting process and reserving the funds to import the oxygen equipment. Every day, they mixed cement and lay block on block to eventually construct a facility large enough for the oxygen generator and tanks.

On January 28, the oxygen plant began it operation. It takes one and a half hours to fill an eight-cubic-meter tank. “On that day, at 5 pm, we were able to fill the first oxygen tank,” said Sagrada Famlia Coordinator Lili Devries,”and since then, our machines have been running 24 hours a day without respite to help as many people as possible.” Local residents line up to refill precious oxygen tanks so they or their family members can survive the attack of COVID-19 on their lungs. Medical staff at the adjacent clinic measure patients’ oxygen levels, examine their prescriptions, and refer them for service at the new facility.

  • The oxygen plant equipment was imported from the U.S.
    Sagrada Familia staff works tirelessly to produce oxygen
  • Oxygen tanks are lined up at the clinic peru
    Oxygen tanks are lined up at the clinic
  • Sagrada Familia staff takes turns to operate the oxygen plant
    Sagrada Familia staff takes turns to operate the plant
  • The equipment was imported from the U.S.
Sagrada Familia has saved the lives of children for over 30 years, and now is saving the lives of people of all ages in Peru.

“Today we already have 58 tanks pending, because each person affected needs one tank per day,” Lili explained. “A chronic patient will usually spend ten days or more in the hospital requiring oxygen. So we’re just a drop in the ocean, and it’s despairing because we can’t go faster than the machine.” She said they’ve already borrowed 35 tanks, and yet they can’t meet the demand. “We know that we will not let ourselves be defeated by this virus.”

The plant is currently running at maximum capacity but can’t keep up with the need for oxygen. They have run out of oxygen tanks to lend.

“We are eternally grateful for everything to everyone who came to our aid,” Lili asserted. “This reminds us that without corruption, it isn’t so expensive to carry out such a project. We feel joy and we want to share it because those who have come to receive oxygen have hope in their eyes.”

In the midst of a new COVID-19 wave, the country’s oxygen crisis has swelled. Peru currently produces only 220 tons of the more than 250 tons of oxygen needed per day, resulting in overnight lines of people desperately seeking oxygen. Sadly, it has become a common scene to see people receive a call while in line, learning that their loved one has succumbed to the virus, and shortly after leave the line in tears.

To take full advantage of the oxygen plant and help as many as possible, the Sagrada Familia staff takes turns around the clock to fill up the tanks. But human energy is running low. “The truth is that there is a lot of demand for oxygen, and we try as much as possible to help. But we are collapsing,” relates Miguel wearily.

“A thousand thanks and a thousand blessings to the volunteers who have made this small plant possible,” says Miguel. “With God’s favor we have been able to help many people and it has been worth all the effort. May the Lord our father fill you with blessings and may this pandemic end soon. Thank you very much. . . We will continue together to the end for a better world.”

“The truth is that there is a lot of demand for oxygen, and we try as much as possible to help. But we are collapsing.“

Miguel Rodríguez

Miguel and the Sagrada Familia assures Global Volunteers that our work will be greatly needed to help them recover from the economic, educational and psychological aftereffects of the pandemic. We remain in close contact with the community to monitor their needs and to plan for our return when international service is again safe.


You may also like:

Peruvian Children Feed Others with Bread of Love During Pandemic

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
March 7, 2021/0 Comments/by Daniel Salazar
https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Sagrada-Familia-oxygen-plant-construction-3.jpg 1013 1500 Daniel Salazar https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Daniel Salazar2021-03-07 12:00:002021-03-04 22:22:28Peru Community Partner Vaults Hurdles to Build Life-Giving Plant
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Partner Communities

  • China 66
  • Cook Islands 44
  • Cuba 118
  • Ecuador 88
  • Greece 69
  • Italy 54
  • Montana 42
  • Nepal 16
  • Peru 99
  • Poland 77
  • Portugal 42
  • South Dakota 8
  • St Lucia 58
  • Tanzania 154
  • Vietnam 44
  • West Virginia 24

Categories

  • Boomer Volunteers
  • Conversational English
  • Couples Volunteering
  • Culture and Traditions Worldwide
  • Development Impact
  • Family Volunteers
  • Free Time Options
  • Global Volunteers
  • Group Volunteering
  • Impact Stories
  • Individuals on Teams
  • Projects for Professionals
  • Reaching Children's Potential
  • Repeat Volunteers
  • Retiree Volunteers
  • Staff Worldwide
  • Student Volunteers
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer Voices
  • Women volunteers

Tags

alumni volunteers American Indian culture Appalachian culture best destination peru Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English cook islands economy covid-19 covid-19 consequences Cuba people-to-people donate for children Earthbox gardens economic support Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects lgbt program peru resume resume high shcool retiree service-learning share food Spring break summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe receive notifications of new posts and updates by email.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is an apolitical, non-sectarian, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
International Community Development Profile: Tenida Duma Family in Tanzania International community development United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) International Confederation of Midwives and the Sustainable Development Goa...
Scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.