A DANA is a catastrophic event when there are mass floods, mud-slides, over-flowing rivers and lakes and flooding of homes and shops. On Monday Oct. 4, Carolina Menendez and Clara Alonso-Guelbenzu informed the upper school about the tragedies happening in Valencia, Spain. Menendez shared a recap of the speech they gave during Assembly that morning.
“Tuesday, Oct. 29 I think it was, there was a DANA, which is when it rains a lot, and in eight hours Valencia got the amount of rain they normally get in a year,” Menendez explained. “So basically, many of the little towns just flooded and there was more than 500 liters of water per meter squared which is just a lot. They just needed a lot of help, they are taking the mud out of the streets, more than 200-300 people have died, 2,500 people are missing and it is just really hard and now everything is destroyed.”
Alonso-Guelbenzu and Menendez share the concern that they wish they could be back in Spain so that they could help the citizens of Valencia.
“It just has me worried about not being able to help there,” Menendez said. “If I was in Madrid I would probably have gone a weekend to help and I feel helpless not being able to do anything.”
When asked to share something that they think people should know, Alonso-Guelbenzu shares an eye-opening response.
“Well, I feel like people should understand that people in Valencia have no basic things, like they can’t shop because they are flooded too. They don’t have cars, they don’t have cell phones, they can’t even call, they can’t shower or get food anywhere, they can’t access any basic things that they would use in their daily lives.”
Both the girls where asked how they are going to advertise their GoFundMe and how they will get the money to Valencia. Menendez shared that they will be getting the money to Valencia through the Red Cross. However, Alonso-Guelbenzu gives us more details about how they will advertise the GoFundMe.
“Well, I think an email was sent to the teachers and to the students so they can donate everything they can to help Valencia, and that will be sent to Valencia,” Said Alonso-Guelbenzu. “We will also try to send emails to parents but we are also working with Charlie Patel and Atlas Kosedag to spread this more around Rome so people are more aware of the situation and they are able to donate and help Valencia and the citizens there.”
Alonso-Guelbenzu wants to share with the readers a special message.
“If you are reading this, please donate to Valencia because they really need you and I just hope that everything gets better.“