Ugueto Sandoval Family
Originating from: Quebrada de Cariaco, La Guaira
"One gigantic wave covered me...I had never thought that a river had such strength...but in no time at all, it had destroyed all of Macuto" is how Damaris relived his experience.
Luis recounted:
"The water rose up like a monster...the waves were up to twenty five meters high..."
To save themselves, they climbed onto a neighbor's roof, they hoped onto the tiles of another, they passed roofs of asbestos. They found a place where they could shelter and...
"there, we spent two days trying to look for food."
Luis added:
"Helicopters were swamped with the dead, and we were terrified of illnesses via an epidemic. We walked from six in the morning until two in the afternoon, we saw people that had drowned and sunk into the mud..."
Damaris still gets troubled at the memory of the noise of the water:
"When there is a really loud noise, I despair - it brings back all of what happened...that night the noise was deafening and I even now I can hear it."
In their dreams Luis still sees...
"all the people looking for help..." which causes him to feel "frustration and sadness...but life goes on."
In fact, Damaris recognizes that the experience of the tragedy:
"...helped me to awaken something inside of me that until now had been dormant, the strength to fight and to help others...now I lead a life that I try to share with the others...another thing that has helped me to survive is the smile of my baby"
As for Luis, what helps him is his strong willpower and also having a positive attitude. His plans for the future include continuing his studies...
"in order to be better prepared and to be a good example to my children."
Similarly, Damaris wants to follow studying theatre:
"it is something that fills me, I am passionate about it."
Through art Damaris wants to help people:
"My biggest inspiration is people, with all their flaws and virtues. I would love to be a huge mother and to have immense arms to hug all the people of this shelter and others."