A History of Success

A disaster, by definition, destroys communities by severely affecting not only life and normalcy but infrastructure, leadership and hope. But disasters also motivate those who have a heartfelt desire to help. In the aftermath of the 2004 earthquake in the Indian Ocean that caused the most deadly tsunami in history, an astonishing array of organizations and people responded, mobilized and arrived in record time. They brought energy, technology, skills, food and comfort… and they brought it all at once. Unfortunately, the heartbreaking result of this instantaneous outpouring was that it exposed fatal logistical gaps; rice rotted before it could fill empty stomachs, medicine expired before it could help the sick and dying, and water languished in warehouses while thirsty people drank fetid water contaminated by disaster.

Communitere grew out of this failure. In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami – and in Peru following the 2007 earthquake, in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and in the Philippines just after the 2013 typhoon – Communitere provided the ability to connect the dots at the final mile and created a foundation that provided a path to repair and to ensuring that everyone affected sees hope for the future. From closing the immediate gaps in the supply chains to helping rebuild homes once the emergency conditions abate, Communitere’s global network of volunteers and partner organizations come together to ensure that aid is efficiently and effectively used to rebuild communities that have been profoundly affected by disaster.