Just Trade were understandably very concerned at the news of the recent earthquake in Peru, and especially worried for our friends involved in the Zoe, Achkiy and Mama Ursula projects which are all based in Lima.

We had difficulty contacting people out there due to power failures and damaged phone- lines, but were eventually relieved to hear that all our project members and their families had escaped unharmed.

The worst hit areas were Ica, Chincha and Pisco, to the south of the capital Lima, which was also badly affected. The Pan-American Highway linking the cities has been badly damaged, and Mama Ursula’s daughter Roxanna described the pavements in Lima as “moving like the waves of the sea”.

As people continue to sleep outside due to fear of aftershocks, our thoughts go out to everyone affected. We would especially like to extend our admiration to Mama Ursula who, despite her own situation, is organising collections of blankets and clothing from the local area and is selling her home cooked food to raise money for those worse off than herself.

For further information on the situation in Peru or to make a donation to help the survivors check out www.oxfam.org.uk.