## Why?

I was born and raised in San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela. On June 24th, 2026, two significant earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, struck Caracas and La Guaira. I experienced the unfolding events like many in the diaspora: feeling powerless, thousands of miles away, constantly refreshing my phone for updates about my loved ones.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred. I reestablished contact with old school friends from my hometown, individuals I had not communicated with for years. Through them, I was introduced to a small group of nurses they had completed their school time with, who had since relocated to Caracas. These nurses are now dedicating their time to collect donations, procure medicine and supplies, and personally deliver them to the most affected areas. There are others who are simply university students, willing to lend a hand.

This initiative is not a faceless organization. It involves individuals with whom I share a genuine connection, engaging in hands-on work. They send me photographs of every invoice, every box of supplies, and every delivery, as I requested transparency, and they recognize the significance of trust at this moment, particularly in a country like Venezuela, where corruption has long deprived many of hope.

Some volunteers are going beyond what I anticipated. A few of these same individuals, along with their families, have been traveling to La Guaira, one of the most severely impacted regions, searching through the debris for their own missing relatives. They are utilizing a thermal camera, acquired with PakoVM's campaign funds (https://x.com/PakoVM/status/2071711829676740700), to assist in locating individuals still trapped or buried. This is not merely abstract relief work for them; it is deeply personal. It involves their neighbors, their family members, and their childhood neighborhoods.

## How much?

I am aiming for the same eyeballed amount I did for XMR and BTC communities ( geyser and kuno: https://geyser.fund/project/helpvzla2026/ ; https://kuno.anne.media/fundraiser/4wwb/ ). 

**$1500** worth of FIRO at the time of creation rounds to about ~**2348** FIRO... I am asking for 2400 FIRO even, no more, no less. As for cost of each item, please understand it is hard for me to quantify such a thing, especially when I am simply _forwarding_ the money and they are exchanging FIRO/XMR/BTC/USDt for Bolivars, our actual fiat currency, to be able to purchase such medicines and tools. Antibiotics, thermal cameras, you call it. I cannot keep track of how many hours I am working, but I can swear on my life and everything I have and don't have, I am **working full-time** on all proposals I am running for or that have been fully funded. 

I used CoinGecko's market rate and live site calculator.

## What?

Every contribution, including cryptocurrency donations (FIRO), is directed entirely towards:

- Medicine for hospitals and clinics overwhelmed by the influx of injured individuals.
- Rescue equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras, to aid in locating survivors and recovering the missing in areas like La Guaira.

## Milestones?

As I said before, I wish I had milestones, I receive, forward, receive pictures, at times even testimonial pictures or videos, and that is the end of it. I cannot break it down in multiple milestones? Maybe, I'd be open to splitting it in halves, or even smaller and we do that procedure, multiple times, allow you to build trust with me, even though more than one of you may know who this is by username, association, or what have you. Personal website: https://www.rottenwheel.com/

## Outcomes?

People that are in most need in my home country, receive what they **need**, as soon as possible; be it a rescue, an antibiotic, something to fix a broken bone, or... =]

## Why you?

I may have left Venezuela, but Venezuela has never left me. San Cristóbal is my home; Táchira is my home. And at this moment, home is in pain. I must do something for them. All I could ever possibly need to help home land are: screens, reliable Internet connection, funds, unequivocal will to help, and most importantly: trustworthy, verifiable Venezuelans to work with!

I am sharing Kuno's and Geyser's links, along with my personal website, just as a proof, reference of who I am. Reuben Yap can say a thing or two about what I've been up to lately, and he said [this](https://x.com/reubenyap/status/2072703954883051838) as well! 

_Edit_: Adding a testimonial video [here](https://x.com/rottenwheel1/status/2073598519248556183), in it, a couple of volunteers explicitly send a shout out to the Firo community. ^.^

- X thread: https://x.com/rottenwheel1/status/2072677156468003260
- Nitter: https://xcancel.com/rottenwheel1/status/2072677156468003260
- Geyser Fund Livestream (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGzrG8kne38; 
- X: https://x.com/geyserfund/status/2073059472587813290
- ES/EN transcript and translation: [here](https://pb.envs.net/?1d15674d93ec3bd2#7Dk5KhNNZwRV6UgtzFPA3UuTZYukQbGRsSxcQNFEwNog). Archive.org [mirror](https://archive.org/details/enes_transcript_vzla).
- Video clip on what has been accomplished in Venezuela, with crypto. Made by Ernesto from Escuelita Bitcoin. X: https://x.com/escuelitabtc/status/2074124538489483636 || Nitter: https://xcancel.com/escuelitabtc/status/2074124538489483636

**08/05**: New batch of media proof shared via X. More info in the [forum](https://forum.firo.org/t/fcs-proposal-venezuela-earthquake-relief-meds-tools-rescue-gear/4335/10).