Coventry graduate in Guatemala helping victims of recent disaster

Nov. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- A Coventry University graduate in Disaster Management is using her skills by helping victims of the recent earthquake in Guatemala.

Gemma Hunt, who is from Oxford, was travelling in Central America when the disaster happened and immediately offered her services to work with European Disaster Volunteers.

She is now calling on her Coventry friends and former disaster management classmates to help her raise money.

The earthquake, which affected the San Marcos region the worst, registered 7.4 magnitude on the Richter scale, making it the strongest earthquake in Guatemala in the past 36 years.

Gemma, along with her travelling companion, Vicky Crooks, returned the city of Quetzaltenango to see for themselves the kind of damage that had been done.

Gemma said:

“Having been in Haiti before I was prepared for what I was to see. Most buildings had some structural damage, others were severely damaged and had ‘demoler’ meaning to demolish written on the walls but some were already piles of rubble.”

Gemma is currently trying to raise money so that she can buy much needed food and goods that she can distribute on the ground.

Gemma has set up a ‘JustGiving’ page so that people in the UK and around the world can help her raise the much-needed cash:

“We really want to create more awareness of the situation here and ultimately raise money”, said Gemma, “so our bedroom has become a media centre.

"We are sending out emails and photos, which hopefully will get the message across. This is a massive task and we appreciate anything you can give as the earthquake has had little or no coverage in the UK and these people are in need.”

If you can help Gemma and want to contribute to the fund to raise money for the victims of the Guatemalan earthquake, then please log on to the following website:

http://www.justgiving.com/guatemalanearthquakeappeal

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Note to editors:

Gemma is not contactable by phone but you can reach her via email at gemhunt@msn.com