Update from OTD Chile on the earthquake and request for donations

Justus Eisfeld, co-director of Global Advocates for Trans Equality (GATE), has been contacted by Andres Rivera of Organización de Transexuales por la Dignidad de la Diversidad (OTD) in Chile with an update on the situation there, following the recent earthquake.

OTD members have just returned from Talca, where they met 16 trans women who have no place to live and have not received any help from the city or national government. The photos show what is left of the house where Florencia and Alejandra, transsexual women from Talca, used to live.

Andres has no news yet about OTD members in Concepcion, Laraquete and Hualpi, where the devastation is understood to be almost complete. Next Tuesday, Andres and two other colleagues will try to reach those towns to find out what the situation is.

We are seeing realities that make our souls crunch and we can provide solutions to the immediate problem, that is food, but much more will be needed to help them have a place to live again. I am asking your help for the immediate needs.

We are using our own money for the help we are providing plus some donations, but we have no more money. We need your help urgently. We need money for gas, food, toiletries, bread and to give cash to those we visit so they can buy what they need. The situation is very chaotic. Some of our colleagues have no place to live. We must be able to act and help them.

I ask you as friends: whatever you can deposit in the OTD account will be for help; whatever you can give will be useful. Please let us know by email if you make a deposit and for how much it was so we can organize ourselves and provide you with a receipt in due time, specifying the expenses we will make. If you know of any funder that can help in cases of catastrophes, please let us know so we can apply.

The bank details are as follows:

• Account holder: Organización de Transexuales por la Dignidad de la Diversidad
• Account number: 38162782298
• Bank’s name: Banco Estado de Chile
• Bank’s address: Independencia 666, Rancagua
• Branch: Rancagua 381
• Swift Code: BECHCLRM

OTD’s address and details are:

• Nombre (name): Organización de Transexuales por la Dignidad de la Diversidad
• Rut OTD : 65.551.660-3
• Dirección (address): Pasaje 5 norte, Casa Nº 756, Poblacón Isabel Riquelme
• Ciudad (city): Rancagua
• Pais (country): Chile

The email address to contact if you make a donation is:

a.sarda@mamacash.nl

Alejandra Sarda-Chandiramani
Senior Programme Officer, Women´s Funds
Mama Cash
P.O. Box 15686
1001 ND Amsterdam
The Netherlands

T: + 31 (0) 20 689 36 52
F: +31 (0) 20 683 46 47

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ETA, March 11:

Justus Eisfeld has sent the following email with details of how to donate online, via Western Union:

Hi all,

thank you to those of you who have already donated to our friends in Chile. I have just talked to Andres Rivera, and he told me that the need with his friends and fellow trans activists is great.

They can still very much use any money you can spare to cover the basic needs in the coming weeks or months while they work at rebuilding their homes and their lives.

I also found out that Western Union has waved the transfer fees to Chile, so it is free to send money there (at least it was free for me from the USA). Just go to www.westernunion.com, and click on ‘send money’. You can pay by credit or debit card – and since sending the money is free, you have no excuse not to send those 5€ or 10$. ;-)

Please let Andres know if you sent any money, his e-mail address is: andresriveraduarte@gmail.com The bank information is printed below.

All the best, and thank you for your help, also on behalf of OTD,

Justus

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To transfer by Western Union/Chileexpress:

• Address of the Chilexpress Agency: Campos Nº299, Rancagua
• Andres Rivera Duarte
• RUT: 8.263.875-K
• Address: Pasaje 5 Norte, Casa Nº 756 Población Isabel Riquelme
• City: Rancagua
• Country: Chile
• Phone number: +56-9-85927679 (cell phone) and +56-72-241992 (landline)

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Cross-posted at Questioning Transphobia