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| Left to right, ShelterBox Response Team member Lyndon Tamblyn, Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula Sunset PP Barbara Malimali, Chair of Rotary Fiji Disaster Committee PE Suluo Daunivalu, and Rotary Club of Suva Peninsula Sunset IPP Joshila Lal |
ShelterBox New Zealand Response Team member Lyndon Tamblyn recently returned from Fiji where he participated in the 4th Annual Pacific Humanitarian Team Workshop for Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Response. He represented both ShelterBox International and ShelterBox New Zealand.
The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and attended by some 100 delegates, including many Pacific Island Government Disaster Officials, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), National Societies, AusAid, NZ Aid Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, United Nations officials and many others.
The five day workshop included a two day realistic disaster exercise, a number of cluster meetings to prepare and respond for “the next one", and a variety of topical presentations.
The importance of camaraderie and networking were some of the key successes of the workshop.
Both Rotary and ShelterBox were showcased very favourably during several of the sessions. Many of the NGOs commented on ShelterBox’s success in working closely with Rotary clubs in times of need.
Whilst in Suva, Lyndon also visited and made presentations to the Rotary Clubs of Suva, Suva North and Suva Peninsula Sunset. Lyndon explained that he received awesome hospitality from the local clubs while building contacts and explaining the work of ShelterBox. The ShelterBox demonstration kit was taken to Fiji to show to the delegates attending the workshop, has since be given to the Rotary clubs in Fiji, and it was handed over to Assistant Governor Shaheen Asgar, of the Suva North Rotary Club for safe keeping and use in promoting the work of ShelterBox amongst the Fijian Rotary clubs
In September this year, Lyndon was selected to participate in the first ever ShelterBox Advanced SRT leadership course which was held in Cornwall, UK. He passed the course, but during it, he managed to drink plenty of sea water as he tried to master off-shore kayaking south of the Lizard in Cornwall!
Lyndon is a Past President of his previous Rotary Club of Bulls, and is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Martin, NZ. He has been a volunteer with Shelterbox for three years, and been on seven overseas deployments, including two to the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Indonesia, Fiji and earlier this year Japan, as well as to Christchurch, NZ.
by Michael Cahill, Director of ShelterBox New Zealand, and member of Rotary Club of Fairfield, Hamilton, NZ
