When the Sixaola river dam collapsed in Guabito, Panama, the community was wrecked by severe flooding. But through hard work and perseverance, the town survived and thrived, prompting a local Red Cross volunteer to dub it, “the city that refused to die.”
The American Red Cross works in Guabito and other disaster-prone communities across Latin America to help families prepare for and recover from natural disasters. Through its Resilience in the Americas Program, the Red Cross provides classes to Guabito’s residents on sanitation, health, first aid, risk reduction, and alternative methods for earning income.
We are proud of this grassroots work, knowing that people with basic first aid skills, economic opportunities, and access to clean water are better able to get back on their feet after unexpected disasters.