Three Christian managers from Valencia share how they are turning the nightmare into opportunities to serve others in the aftermath of the floods.
Collaboration is a key element in the face of the crisis / Photos by Pablo Rey and Joel Forster.
The catastrophic floods that hit the Spanish region of Valencia 20 days ago sparked a wave of solidarity throughout the country that is helping to ease the more immediate consequences of the very serious flooding.
The damage of the floods in the production and business sphere is still difficult to measure, as thousands of businesses have been directly affected in their services and infrastructure.
But many who have even lost their livelihoods and face uncertainty are putting aside their fears to offer help and support.
Addressing logistical challenges, cleaning up, obtaining not only goods but also machinery, or providing opportunities for other businesses to start rebuilding are some of the actions carried out by entrepreneurs in these extremely intense days.
The group of Christian Business Leaders meeting in Valencia is in constant contact to share specific needs and opportunities to serve and support where it is needed.
“We are facing terrible days, but in the midst of so much difficulty, we are trying to help as much as we can”, Pablo Rey tells Spanish news website.
He leads 27 people from his construction company, which has suffered serious material losses in its warehouse in Ribarroja, one of the towns most damaged by the flood.
Almost none of the companies there have survived without damage. "We have never seen anything like this, it is a total catastrophe”, he says, although there is no trace of despair in his voice.
“We are experiencing a lot of collaboration, if it weren't for that, we would be lost”, adds this businessman, who for days has been coordinating all his teams in the distribution of clothes, food, basic goods and all kinds of machinery.
Now they "are worried about the problem of the mud accumulated in the sewage system”, he says after pointing out that, at last, in the warehouses in Ribarroja "we have regained access to electricity and water after almost ten days without supply”.
Rey runs Siloé Constructions, a business that started as a tool to provide work for many people who came to Spain from other countries.
Now, that social and integrative work has multiplied with its direct aid in the most affected areas.
“In coordination with local churches and entities such as Diaconia and Misión Urbana, we are distributing a lot of material. We are also helping in a camp facility, so that they can repair their damage”, he points out.
In the midst of hectic activity, Rey laments the lack of coordination from the authorities, which, however, has not stopped people from turning out to help.
"We have always aimed to encourage the creation of strong bonds, so that people can create a family, a home, that is our vision as a company. Now we see that all of this has been strengthened with this crisis”.
And we see how a wave of love and solidarity is unfolding. For me it is like a spontaneous revival; I am shocked by what we are experiencing and I think it will mark us all”, Rey reflects.
Manuel Zamudio explains how the first floor of one of the restaurants he runs became a refuge during that first night, not only for the five workers, but also for around thirty people, including customers and staff from other businesses who saw how the water was rising.
They were cut off, without electricity or water for hours, and had difficulty to communicate.
“It was a horrible time, I could not sleep at all until, at around 5 a.m., when I got the message that everyone was all right. The manager did a heroic job in helping everyone and coordinating to save lives”, Manuel recalls.
[photo_footer]The KFC, with its ground floor razed to the ground, and its first floor functioning as a shelter / Manuel Zamudio [/photo_footer]
The next day, they began to become aware of the dramatic situation that was looming for so many thousands of people.
“It is hard to understand until you see it. You can be in an area where it looks like nothing has happened, and 500 metres away everything is absolutely destroyed”, he explains.
From the very first moment, Manuel wanted to visit the affected facilities of his business, and with his team they were concerned to know how all the staff was doing.
“Until Thursday we did not know how one of the employees, who lives in one of the most flooded and difficult to access areas, was doing, and the manager went to her house to check that she was all right”. Among his employees there are also people who "have lost everything”.
Manuel is also a member of the Valentia church, whose main building "has been converted" into a logistics and materials distribution centre.
In this church they have formed volunteer groups to cover the needs that arise. They have also been able to mobilise businessmen to donate basic goods, including food, boots and cleaning tools, the famous "Karcher" used to clean both the interior and exterior of the premises.
The businessman believes that it will take "months" to return to normality, although he hopes that in the coming weeks some businesses will be able to open.
In the meantime, his restaurant is providing temporary help for the firefighters and soldiers who are in the area, giving them food and also providing them with a place to rest and use the toilets.
Everyone's support will be “indispensable" for the immediate future, and "also direct economic aid, because many people have even lost their livelihoods, so they will need that help".
For Zamudio, if anything positive comes out of all this, it is the response "of almost all of society turning out to help", and that "the church has been transformed and that is impacting many".
He trusts that God has a plan for all things, and that "just as Jesus got into the mud for us, we now have to get into the mud for others".
The businessman encourages people to consider volunteering, because " it is going to take not only volunteers to deliver, but also hands to do carpentry, electricity, DIY, repairs... It will be a big part of it.
[photo_footer]Volunteers from many places are carrying out indispensable work, say voices on the ground / Joel Forster. [/photo_footer]
Ana Belén Evangelio runs Taván, a company in the agricultural innovation sector.
The last two weeks have also been hectic for them, who escaped the worst consequences of the flooding because, in response to a storm warning, they sent all their workers home on Tuesday, before the overflow occurred.
“I am cautious in these situations, and because of our type of work we could stop and then make up the hours later”, explains Ana Belén.
Immediately, seeing how the situation got complicated, they began to respond to the needs, mainly transporting basic goods, but also helping with the management and storage of clothes and other items.
These days “we have made ties with the brothers in need. We have been able to get trucks, volunteers to remove cars..., we have sent a tank with water to a company that needed to clean its machinery with clean water so that they could do so”, he recounts, recalling some of the actions carried out in an "open and unprofiled cooperation”.
[photo_footer]Damage represents 32% of the GDP of the region of Valencia. / Joel Forster. [/photo_footer]
Connected to the work of local churches and agencies, they have been responding to the various appeals for help. Ana believes that help will be needed for months, and is concerned that as the days go by, people will forget.
In her heart are also the businesses that have suffered immense losses, for example, a man from her church whose taxi, his family's livelihood, has been swept away by the flood.
“There are 53,000 businesses affected. These are people, dreams, the livelihoods of many, so we need to be alert and do what we can to help”.
That is why, “beyond the economic losses, I am concerned about the damage to mental health, to emotions, that this will leave on so many people. It will be important that as a church we can also respond to that need”.
This article was produced for the Líderes Empresariales section of Protestante Digital. Learn more about LEC here.
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