ROTARY CYCLONE PAM – VANUATU – URGENT APPEAL FOR
DONATIONS OF CASH – Bulletin 3
We now have 1000 ERKs
either in Vanuatu or en route.
600 left on HMNZS
Canterbury last Sunday – two and half 20 foot container loads. Prime TV News
covered Sunday night.
Huge thanks to MFAT,
RNZDF (Navy), Jenners Worldwide Freight Ltd for making this possible.
The value of the
consignments is approx $600k so we desperately need that equivalent to replace
the stock.
The Public Response
to our Appeal which has appeared on a number of websites has been well received
and we are grateful for donations large and small.
We have received many
calls and emails from people representing Ni Vanuatu people in New Zealand and
New Zealand residents from other Pacific countries with requests to assist them
to send containers of donations in kind and other goods. Each is being
considered, but not encouraged.
The
reasons are many, essentially to protect the Vanuatu economy and not impair the
livelihood of the established business community. A lot of DIK sent by well
wishers is often inappropriate.
A priority for
funding is re-establishment of safer drinking water. 75 communities are being
considered to provide potable water and reduce the sanitation and health
consequences which arise from water sources damaged by the cyclone.
Following on from a successful project in Samoa as a result of the last Cyclone
devastating that country, water harvesting roofs and tanks maybe installed
in schools in strategic locations which community members can access which
will prevent the closure of schools due to sanitation and health
concerns.
Reestablishments of
home vegetable gardens also an urgent need which is being considered a priority.
New Zealand Rotary
Volunteer Peter Wilson has arrived in Vanuatu to undertake needs
assessments having determined a number of islands as those we should support
given that Rotary has provided infrastructure to their communities in the past
and know the islands well. Rotarians in Vanuatu have suffered loss to homes and
businesses and need support whilst they tend to their own personal issues.
Trauma is an issue often forgotten at these times.
Vanuatu is made up of
83 islands over a vast area of ocean and limited access mostly by sea. From the
most southern to the most northern the distance is approx 1000 kilometres in a
straight line.
Given it is only 10
days since Cyclone Pam hit, we believe we are well on track to make a real
difference over the coming days, weeks,
months and possibly years.
DONATIONS
TO OUR APPEAL ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Four
Donation options are:
At any Westpac Branch or by Internet Banking
Quoting 03 1702 0192208
01
Ref. 888 or for ERKs specifically 308
Cheque to
RNZWCS Limited (Rotary New Zealand)
PO Box 20309
Christchurch 8543
New Zealand
