Three young people from Zaragoza create a transport network to take volunteers to Valencia

Solidarity arises in adverse times and in Zaragoza it is no less, where thousands of volunteers do not hesitate to go out of their way day after day to help those affected by the DANA in Valencia. Although sometimes helplessness prevails, since one of the main difficulties is getting transport to reach the towns most affected by the catastrophe. As a solution to this impediment, three young people from the Aragonese capital have created a transport network to be able to transport by car the people of Zaragoza who want to go to the Valencian Community to help with the clean-up work.

The idea came about last weekend, when the three young people, Sergio Puerto, Jorge Meavilla and Odran Pérez, travelled to Valencia to help out. Being aware of the difficult situation that the people of Valencia were experiencing, they decided that they wanted to provide even more help, but working during the week was “impossible”, as their promoter, Sergio Puerto, explains. It was at that moment that it occurred to them that they could create a WhatsApp group (DANA Zaragoza Volunteers) so that people who were going to travel to Valencia and had free spaces in their car could take as many people who did not have this possibility.

The transport network they have created works in a similar way to the BlaBlaCar service. The administrators place a survey so that members can indicate their availability to travel to Valencia and whether or not they can provide a car. From there, people have to contact those who have the same days available to organize the trip between them.

The initiative has been very well received by the people of Zaragoza, with the group now comprising more than 700 people. In addition, given the “lack of coordination” that the young people saw in the area, they sent the group relevant information such as a list of essential things to bring, which towns are the most affected, where to park, how to get to the towns on foot and where there are public showers. In Puerto’s words, they try to “coordinate everything a bit because it’s chaos.”

This information will be updated as people who come to the affected area tell them about the situation. At this time, Sergio Puerto is making a special appeal for people to go to the areas further away from Valencia, such as the towns of Chiva or Catarroja, which are where they need the most help. “It is a real pain because it is an hour and a half walk and volunteers usually stay in the first towns, but little by little we get there and in the end we will succeed,” he said.