Last summer, the world watched in horror as hundreds of families in Australia lost everything when wildfires ravaged large sections of the country's east coast.
Among those families was a couple living in the town of Mogo, 280 kilometres south of Sydney, who
Salvadorian Lorena Granados and her Chilean-born husband Gaspar Roman tell SBS Spanish that their dreams went up in smoke during the blaze, which destroyed more than 400 homes in that region alone.
Overcome by shock, sadness, desolation and hopelessness, the family undertook the immense task of rebuilding their lives, aided by their own community, which in Lorena's words “has been fantastic”.
"Local organisations like churches, the Red Cross, have all come and given us a lot of emotional support," she says.
People have wanted to contribute to our recovery, we are very grateful because without that we would not have been able to get ahead or have the business running again.
She says after a year of wandering from house to house, the family finally found a residence where they could settle down again and resume their lives.
She considers her family lucky because “there are many people who are still camping and have no place to live”.
During the fires, the family business was seriously affected, since the premises where they had the workshop and the store also succumbed to the flames.
Gaspar Roman and Lorena Granados. Source: Lorena Granados
With the help of the Business Council of Australia (BCA), the couple borrowed two containers - an arrangement they have until 2022 - which they have been able to adapt to reopen their leather goods business.
"That has kept us with work and has given us the courage to move forward," Lorena says.
But it’s almost impossible to get out of such a tragedy without making a substantial financial investment, and the migrant couple says they’ve found themselves in the familiar "waiting rooms" of government bureaucracy.
Temporary premises where the family's leather goods store operates in Mogo, NSW. Source: Lorena Granados
The family expresses frustration with the number of forms they must fill out to obtain assistance, and explain that some of the delays are due to the fact that there are not enough local tradesmen to undertake the scale of the rebuilding efforts required.
"One goes to the community of Mogo, where we lost 17 businesses and 90 houses, only in that area, and nothing has been rebuilt. Everything is stopped in bureaucracy because everyone has to decide how we are going to rebuild and we have not yet reached an agreement."
"The government has made many donations to the local council for the recovery of our community, but unfortunately that aid has not yet reached the community," Lorena explains.
SBS Spanish contacted the Eurobodalla Shire Council requesting a reaction to the criticisms and to seek clarification on the terms of the request to access the aid funds that they administer.
Roman Leathergoods before the NYE fires. Source: Supplied
The couple's residence in flames in Mogo. Source: Lorena Granados
A spokeswoman said the only relief fund administered in this instance was the Business Resilience Fund, which provides $5000 to assist small businesses to recover.
The money comes from private donors, not the government.
The council says it has distributed $310,000 of the nearly $320,000 donated to that fund.
The spokeswoman also clarified that, while the use of local contractors and materials was strongly encouraged, it was not a prerequisite for receiving aid.
Likewise, the council spokeswoman expressed she understands that many residents and small entrepreneurs are frustrated by the circumstances, but that the forms are an important element of the requests to guarantee the transparency of the process before the tax office, and that the council will continue to work closely with residents to continue offering support, not only financial but also emotional and psychological.
Lorena and Gaspar say they have “tough skin”, like the leathers they work with and affirm that adversity has been a platform to renew the values of life.
Mogo township was destroyed as bushfires raged up the NSW south coast during the bushfires. Source: Pacific Press/Sipa USA
“I've learned that I don't like buying things that much anymore,” Lorena says.
“After all that I have lost, I have learned that there are other more important things like relationships and family.”
She concludes by saying "it has been an incredible year".
"Thank God we are healthy, and we have life. We really appreciate where we live. Even though we have been through what we went through, we are grateful to have chosen this place to live."
