When the earthquake struck Pereira, Colombia, Mayerly’ first thought was not about her home or belongings. It was about her family. “Everything happened so quickly,” Mayerly recalls. “Within seconds, our sense of security disappeared, and all I could think about was my family.”

Her husband and mother were trapped inside their home. Thanks to the quick response of their neighbors, Mayerly’s husband and mother were rescued and brought out alive. “Being able to see them again was an enormous relief,” she recalls. “Something I will never forget.”

But once her family was safe, another reality set in: their home had been damaged, and the earthquake had disrupted the basic security their family depended on. They now had to think about food, housing, and how to repair what had been damaged.

In the midst of that uncertainty, Mayerly received a cash transfer from ADRA Colombia. Rather than restricting how the assistance could be used, the cash gave her family the flexibility to decide what they needed most.

For Mayerly, that flexibility has made a meaningful difference. The money helps her family purchase food, contribute toward rent if they need a safe place to stay, and make repairs to their damaged home. “To me, receiving this money means much more than financial assistance,” she explains. “It means having the ability to decide what is most urgent for my family right now.”

More than anything, the support reminded Mayerly that her family was not facing the aftermath alone. “It’s knowing that someone thought of us and that we have an opportunity to begin putting our lives back together.”

There is still much to repair and many uncertainties ahead. But with her husband and mother by her side, and with support from her community and ADRA, she is beginning to look toward what comes next.

For Mayerly and many like her, the earthquake revealed how quickly life can change. It also showed her the strength that can come from people standing together. “Even in the most difficult moments, the solidarity of others can become a force that helps us keep moving forward.”

Thanks to the generous donations of donors like you, families like Mayerly’s are receiving the flexibility to address their most urgent needs, the support to begin recovering, and the reassurance that they do not have to face the road ahead alone.