Life After The Quake Karen's Precious New Purpose

How a brush with death changed her outlook

- Julie Jacobson

At 12.51pm on February 22, 2011, Christchurch was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. It was deadly, killing 185 people and seriously injuring 164 others. It also caused major and lasting damage across the city.

This is the story of one survivor and how the event changed her life forever.

Monday, February 21

Karen Maponga celebrates her 28th birthday with husband Bert and then almost three-year-old daughter Keisha.

The family moved to New Zealand from Zimbabwe in 2008 in search of a better life. Karen, a call centre worker, has just started a new job at Telecom and is looking forward to a long-planned trip to Wellington the following weekend or a church conference. She gets a pair of boots as a birthday present.

Tuesday, February 22

Over morning tea, Karen and other new trainees discuss what they might do if there is an earthquake. At around 11.45am their supervisor suggests they take a longer lunch break. “Have an hour,” she tells them, rather than the usual 30 minutes.

Karen is delighted. She’s been wanting to buy a new dress to wear to the conference and heads towards a little boutique in the Link Centre, between Hereford Street and City Mall.

On her way she calls Bert, telling him where she is and chatting to him as she searches through clothing racks.

12.51pm

The quake hits and Karen can only think one thing – get outside! She runs into a café in the food court but there is glass everywhere. She turns around, freezes and then falls. As she falls she screams to Bert, who’s still on the phone, that she’s going to die.