During November, Honduras was devastated by two major storms just two weeks apart from each other, Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota. In order to lend support to those hit hardest by these damaging storms, the Wärtsilä team moved quickly to send a donation to the Honduran NGO, Fundación Kafie. This organization was created by the Kafie family which has been instrumental in building the energy infrastructure of Honduras and an important partner of Wärtsilä for many years.
The funds will support Fundación Kafie’s hurricane rescue efforts that include relief kits containing food, milk, hygiene products, blankets, and other essential items. Over 2,460 kits had been delivered by the NGO, supporting more than 2,460 families. Wärtsilä’s donation will further enable 5,000 additional relief kits to be distributed.
“We thank Wärtsilä for their generous support. There is a great need in our country following these devastating hurricanes. This donation will help the people of Honduras directly impacted by Hurricane Iota,” commented Monique Kafie, President of the Fundación Kafie. “I was taken by surprise and extremely thankful for Wärtsilä’s support. With these funds we will be able to reach even more people who are still living in shelters or even on the streets,” said Luis Jose Kafie, another member of the foundation.
Fundación Kafie is a local Honduran non-profit organization founded in 2006 by the Kafie family. The foundation was established to do humanitarian work for the people of Honduras via three main areas: health, education and community. The foundation is able to develop diverse projects that help those who need it most. Its members and volunteers are committed to the development of the Honduran community.
“I would like to thank our Wärtsilä team including Sampo Suvisaari, Francisco Picasso, Aaron Bresnahan, Josefina Latuf and Crystal McCain for helping coordinate this contribution in an expedited manner – the funds were received by the foundation the same day as the second storm struck the country,” said Silvia Zumarraga, General Manager, Market Development who coordinated the effort on behalf Wärtsilä.
The Wärtsilä team hopes that this assistance will bring some peace of mind to as many families as possible during this challenging time of rebuilding in the region.
