My time in Los Coipos: Rebuilding after the earthquake

By: Sydney Finkbohner

It is crazy to think that a high school student like me, from a small town in Colorado, would take so much away from visiting a small town in Chile. I never thought that my whole trip would change my outlook on life forever. I never realized how a simple act of kindness, form a random stranger, would teach me some of life’s greatest lessons.

Los Coipos is a small town in the countryside of Chile, and was greatly affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Concepcion, Chile just one year ago. A group of students and I were lucky enough to be able to come into this remarkable community and finish their once lost community center.

From my perspective, the small countryside-town of Los Coipos, Chile is truly one of a kind. I saw each aspect of the town as new and different form anything I had seen before. The community itself was incredible! To be able to meet them and get to know them has truly changed my life for the better.

I loved how every morning, as we walked through the small street towards the work center, we were always greeted so warmly, with such big smiles. It made me feel so welcome, almost as if I lived there. It was also so amazing to see how the entire town thrived off each other; and helped one another everyday. Through this collaboration, the community is able to maintain strong sustainability. It was so unique and so extraordinary. I feel so lucky that I was able to be part of this wonderful town even for a short while! It was such a great experience.