SchoolBoxes distributed to orphanages in earthquake-stricken Kathmandu

ShelterBox has now used the full range of its aid in its Nepal earthquake response – ShelterBox tents as medical facilities, ShelterKits to get aid swiftly to mountain villages, and now SchoolBoxes to bring some sense of recovery and normality to children in Kathmandu.

In the early days after the first 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25, ShelterBox tents were used as medical facilities outside damaged city hospitals, or as field hospitals in the foothills. Then a steady flow of ShelterKits – containing tools and waterproof tarpaulins – were the ideal choice for helping remote mountain communities to start rebuilding their homes. Over 15,000 people in Nepal have received ShelterBox aid so far. 

Now, an initiative by the new Rotary Club of Bhadgaon in the Kathmandu Valley is focused on children in need with their massive project of supporting over 200 orphanages across the area.

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) - Tim Osburn from the US, Jimmy Griffith from NZ, Torstein Nielsen from Norway and Jessica Kim from Canada - have helped to source and deliver SchoolBoxes containing enough school materials for up to 450 children. Each orphanage looks after between 25 and 50 children up to the age of 18. The Rotarians have also brought in psychiatrists to help children traumatised by the quakes and ongoing aftershocks.

Torstein says, “It was wonderful to see how the older children were taking care of the younger children. It was evident that the staff fostered a healthy, inviting family environment.”

His SRT colleague Jimmy added, “It was great to see our SchoolBoxes in action and to peek in on how the children are enjoying a little bit of a distraction from their very difficult experiences.”

In another initiative, a ShelterBox tent has provided an adaptable space for a local children’s art therapy organisation in Balaju Park in Kathmandu. This has created a fun, friendly environment where children can overcome the trauma of the earthquakes. It provides them with a place to play, sing, dance and draw, where they can receive one-on-one therapy too. It will also be used to train counsellors and volunteers committed to helping children overcome their experiences. 

www.shelterbox.org.nz and www.shelterboxaustralia.com.au

Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu: ShelterBox aid is being distributed in Tanna

VANUATU — (April 8, 2015) — Urgent Shelter Kits are on their way to communities devastated by Cyclone Pam on Tanna Island, in Vanuatu’s south. Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu with devastating force, claiming 8 lives and destroying homes, hospitals and crops.

 

The Category Five cyclone was one of the worst storms to ever hit the region. It is estimated that 166,000 people have been affected, and between 50-90% of infrastructure destroyed.

 

ShelterBox is working with CARE International who is responding in Tafea Province in the south, where 32,000 people live.

Large parts of Tanna, which is home to around 24,000 people, remain cut off due to landslides and severe cyclone damage making many roads impassable. Aerial assessments indicate that in some communities all the homes have been severely damaged or destroyed.

“Decimation is the only word for what has happened here,” said CARE Vantuatu’s Program Manager Charlie Damon in Lenakal on Tanna Island’s western coast. “You cannot see a leaf on a tree. What used to be a green island, is now brown. All crops have been destroyed, all traditional housing is gone. People are without water. This is a grave situation down here.”

“This is a country of 83 islands stretched over many hundreds of miles of ocean. Most people in the country live in rural communities, and even making contact with most areas remains extremely challenging,” said CARE’s Tom Perry in Port Vila.

“Communications are still down, roads are blocked by landslides and many bridges are broken or have collapsed. CARE is doing what we can to get help to those that need it, but this is a massive logistical challenge.”

ShelterBox Response Teams are busy assisting survivors in the Tafea Province with urgently needed shelter. ShelterBox volunteer Greg Moran (AUS) reports that the urgently needed Shelter Kits which have arrived today on a barge had travelled overnight from Port Vila. The barge is carrying a large amount of ShelterBox aid for the island and the team’s next challenge will be to get the aid to where it is most needed.

Media contact: Mike Cahill +64 (0) 21 328084 mc@shelterbox.org.nz

About ShelterBox: Every year thousands of communities, often with no warning, lose their homes, their possessions and their livelihoods. Every day they are faced with a battle for survival.

 

ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and vital supplies to support communities around the world overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crisis.

Since we were founded in 2000, we have responded to more than 250 earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, typhoons and conflict, in some 90 countries, delivering emergency humanitarian aid to communities in need.

Rotary's initial response to Cyclone Pam

The picture shows the power of the cyclone and damage to structure and trees
that was to become widespread

Rotary has responded very quickly along with many other NGO's to the devastation of Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu.

600 prepositioned Emergency Response Kits have been sent by RNZWCS - www.rnzwcs.org.nz 

1000 shelterbox kits have been sent by ShelterBox - www.shelterbox.org.nz 

Both RNZWCS and ShelterBox have also launched cash appeals via Give-a-Little to make available further aid.

Details of these two appeals are on their websites and at www.cyclonepam.rotarysouthpacific.org

Included in April
Rotary Down Under
magazine

Training didn’t take in real devastation of Malaysian floods

Helping provide shelter to victims of the devastating flooding in Malaysia was both challenging and rewarding for Nelson man, Jimmy Griffiths.

Jimmy recently returned home to New Zealand after a month’s deployment to Malaysia, where he was helping provide shelter to victims of the devastating flooding, which recently hit the country.



Jimmy Griffiths with young family members
from the first family he helped to re-home

It was his first deployment in a disaster zone for the ShelterBox organisation, which provides emergency shelter and vital supplies to international community’s overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crisis.

Malaysia suffered its worst flooding in 50 years from December 15 to January 3, with more than 200,000 people displaced, and 21 people killed. Flooding ripped houses from their foundations and left locals facing a mammoth clean-up.

Witnessing the destruction was initially overwhelming, Jimmy says.

‘‘I remember being driven around looking at the devastation, and thinking: ‘Man, where do you start?  How do you start putting everything back together’.’’

The muck, flood debris and wet ground meant finding a suitable place to erect the tents was a challenge.

Jimmy is one of 200 highly trained ShelterBox volunteers who work in disaster zones across the world and who only completed his selection process as a first responder last year.

He finished his training in October and had just completed his vaccination programme, when he was asked to travel to Malaysia.

‘‘I got the call on January 3, having signed up ready for deployment on December 26.’’

Jimmy said despite the training being fresh in his mind, the reality of doing the job on the ground was naturally different.

‘‘Theory doesn’t match the practical. There were a lot of things going through my mind including is there going to be fresh water when I get there, what’s the security risk . . .’’

Some of the challenges included the extreme heat and humidity, language differences and working with local customs and politics and sometimes having to eat sketchy food.

To cope with the enormity of the situation he quickly became ‘‘task focussed’’.

‘‘I looked at it that each tent I didn’t put up that day meant a family would be sleeping in the open. Giving them a tent gave them privacy, dignity and a chance to start rebuilding their lives,’’ he said.

Jimmy said going to Malaysia and witnessing the work ShelterBox did on the ground had shown him he was right to support the charity. ‘‘It’s been fantastic and I now realise my time wasn’t wasted’’ and he added, ‘‘We are so grateful to Rotary and everybody who donates, because it helps us to prepare for the next disaster.’’

Web:  www.shelterbox.org ; www.shelterbox.org.nz



Included in April

Rotary Down Under

magazine

ShelterBox Typhoon Haiyan Emergency Appeal

ShelterBox International appoints a new Chief Executive

The Board of ShelterBox is pleased to announce that Alison Wallace, will take over as its new Chief Executive from April 15, 2013. Alison is a New Zealander, a law and commerce graduate, and joins ShelterBox from Amnesty International.

Alison has over 15 years’ experience in the UK and international not-for-profit sectors, most recently working for nearly seven years as Director of International Fundraising at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International. She has particular expertise in fundraising growth strategies, having delivered Amnesty International’s first Global Fundraising Strategy in 2010 and recently re-launched an ambitious global major donor fundraising programme.

ShelterBox responds to Solomon’s tsunami

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) from New Zealand is being deployed to the Solomon Islands in response to the  undersea earthquake and subsequent 1.5 metres (5ft) high tsunami that hit Temotu Province in the Solomon Islands on the 6th February 2013.

ShelterBox Response Team members Lyndon Tamblyn (Bulls) and Owen Smith (Kerikeri) both experienced response team leaders will leave as soon as flights become available. The ShelterBox SRT will work alongside staff from World Vision, our partner in the Solomon Islands who are currently assessing the damage and the need for shelter. Pre-positioned stocks of tents and ShelterBoxes have been made available for the disaster hit families.

A New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 is scheduled to leave this morning [11 February] for the Pacific. It will be carrying relief supplies into Honiara, donated to World Vision by The Warehouse and ShelterBox. Stocks include shelter, sanitation kits, tarpaulins, water containers, and chainsaw packs from the New Zealand Government.

According to George Herming, a spokesman for the prime minister, some 100 homes and properties had been either damaged or destroyed. Sipuru Rove, a spokesperson from the National Disaster Management Office in Honiara, said the relief effort was being hindered by debris at Lata airport. Planes are not yet able to bring relief supplies to the Islands because of damage to an airport that had been inundated by tsunami surges.

Solomon Islands Police Commissioner John Lansley said that his officers in Lata were helping to assess the damage and prepare for evacuation in the nearby villages. "Sadly, we believe some people have lost their lives," he said. "Latest reports have indicated that the death toll has risen to thirteen, but there may of course be more."

More than 50 people were killed and thousands lost their homes in April 2007 when a magnitude-8.1 quake hit the western Solomon Islands, sending waves crashing into coastal villages. The Solomon’s comprise more than 200 islands with a population of about 552,000 people. The islands lie on the "Ring of Fire" – an arc that stretches around the Pacific rim and where about 90% of the world's quakes occur.

Link: www.shelterbox.org.nz 

Samoa and Philippines Benefit from Christmas Puddings

The Rotary Club of Orewa, NZ decided following the two recent disasters in Samoa and the Philippines that the proceeds from their very successful Rotary Christmas Pudding Project will go towards providing one ShelterBox for the Philippines and two Emergency Response Kits (ERKs) for Samoa”, says Doug Parker, the club’s Co-ordinator for Christmas Puddings sales.

Cyclone Evan struck Samoa with three people reported dead, 200 injured by flying debris and 3000 forced from their homes. The ERKs will help people get re-established.

In the Philippines over 700 people are believed to be dead, with almost another 800 missing and Typhoon Bopha destroyed 80,000 homes. ShelterBoxes provide temporary housing for ten people with all the necessary equipment such as sleeping bags, multifuel stove, cooking utensils, mosquito nets, groundsheets, various tools and even children’s school supplies - all the essential basics a family would require.

 

Photo courtesy of Rodney Times   

Photo caption: Maygrove Retirement Village resident Heather Nicholson thoroughly enjoys her Rotary Christmas pudding, and she is thrilled that the proceeds are helping victims of the Samoa and Philippines cyclone and typhoon disasters. 

The Orewa Rotary Club over the past five years have provided 11 such ShelterBoxes to countries hit by disasters, and their aim is to provide two ShelterBoxes each year to disaster ravaged countries.

Doug says that it is only through the club’s fundraising activities and the tremendous support Rotary receives from the people in the local community that we are able to achieve this, and also help other charities.

456 Rotary Christmas puddings were sold, which allowed the club to donate one ShelterBox (NZ$1500) and two ERKs ($600 each).  Two more ERKs were donated by Orewa Rotarian Rod and Judy Townsend. 

-       Submitted by Doug Parker, Rotary Club of Orewa, New Zealand

ShelterBox NZ team members respond to Cyclone Evan in Samoa

A New Zealand ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) consisting of Bulls-based Lyndon Tamblyn and Walter van der Kley from Ashburton, who are both experienced SRTs, went to Apia on December 16 to assess the need of people affected by recent Cyclone Evan which ripped through Samoa.

Winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour lashed down, and waves of water exploded over river banks washing homes away, flinging cars into trees, cutting out power across the country and leaving the capital city Apia in ruins. The scene of destruction also included flattened homes, uprooted trees and flooded streets.


Once on the ground in Apia, the pair assessed the needs of cyclone victims and established how many people had lost their homes. Local Rotarians helped the team with information and transport.

ShelterBoxes are prepositioned in Auckland and ready for a rapid response to Pacific Island nations. Additional ShelterBoxes are located in Melbourne, with some already in Fiji, left over from flood relief earlier in 2012.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. Since 2000 over 124,323 ShelterBoxes have been deployed worldwide.

NZ SRT, Owen Smith recently towed a ShelterBox in the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge to raise money for at least six ShelterBoxes.

Each ShelterBox costs NZ$1,500 and will support an extended family for up to six months.
Donations can be made through the Telecom Foundation “Givealittle” website where 100% of every donation is given to the charity.

DONATION HOTLINE:  

www.givealittle.co.nz/org/shelterbox

ShelterBox NZ gets a Royal visitor

 

ShelterBox NZ's display at the Christchurch Cup and Show Week

‘ShelterBox Ambassador honoured’

The Queen has been pleased on the occasion of the celebration of Her Majesty's Birthday and the Diamond Jubilee, to make the award of The Queen's Service Medal to John Dougal Stevenson, for services to broadcasting.

Veteran broadcaster and ShelterBox Founding Ambassador Dougal Stevenson, has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to broadcasting.

Dougal (69) presented New Zealand's first live network news broadcast at 7.35pm on November 3, 1969.

In a recent interview on TV and in the Otago Daily Times Dougal said, "I got a letter from Government House and my first thought was: 'I'm going to be deported'," he joked at his St Leonard’s home.

"But I am really chuffed about it. I thought it was wonderful and wondered who nominated me.

How nice of someone to think to nominate me and how nice that the Government agreed. It's also rather fun to get this on the weekend the Queen's 60th jubilee celebrations are starting," he said.

As a ShelterBox Founding Ambassador Dougal has been the face of ShelterBox New Zealand since 2006 and was responsible for producing the ShelterBox promotional DVD’s. He has always given freely of his time by helping with PR advice to the members of our Response Teams during our selection and training weekends. 

A ShelterBox highlight for Dougal was the visit to ShelterBox UK in 2010 when he had the opportunity to meet with our President, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall at a reception held in aid of ShelterBox at Clarence House.

See also www.shelterbox.org.nz

Note that a full list of Rotarians from the six New Zealand-based district who have receoved Queens Birthday Honours will be opublished in the August Rotary Down Under magazine

ShelterBox deploys to aid Fiji flood victims

ShelterBox New Zealand has deployed a response team to work with the Rotary Club of Suva East to coordinate a response to the heavy flooding that has hit the South Pacific Islands of Fiji. A ShelterBox Response Team, comprising, Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) and Sally Fletcher (NZ) will fly out to assess the needs and facilitate the importation and distribution of emergency aid.

SRT Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) in Suva, November 2011 demonstrating the ShelterBox equipment

With a state of emergency declared in the West of the island nation, some 12,000 people are currently housed in evacuation centres, and nearly 3,000 households affected thus far. Although the rains eased over the weekend, the threat posed by the approaching Cyclone Daphne gives cause for grave concern.

ShelterBox International Director, Lasse Petersen said,

“We are consulting with several key players, including Rotary in Suva, DISMAC (Fijian disaster management), The Red Cross and the New Zealand Government to coordinate an appropriate and rapid response.

Pacific Humanitarian Team Workshop in Fiji for

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

French Polynasian Scouts at the World Jamboree in Sweden

ShelterBox helps Scouts made ‘tentless’ at World Scout Jamboree

Mark Dyer and Alan Monroe from ShelterBox USA meet scouts from French Polynesia

It may not have been the hurricane or monsoon conditions that ShelterBox are used to, but rain has left Scouts without warm, safe accommodation at the World Scout Jamboree.

After two days of almost constant downpours, a group of 14 French Polynesian Scouts found their tents destroyed and their equipment soaked at the 40,000 person event in southern Sweden. International disaster relief charity, ShelterBox, which is an official partner of The Scout Association, came to the aid of the newly homeless Scouts.

Sylvie, the Scout Leader accompanying the group said, 'It's great that ShelterBox were able to help. Our Scouts would have been sleeping in the rain otherwise.'

ShelterBox, which is attending the jamboree to promote its disaster relief work, were able to provide two of their specially designed tents to keep the Scouts dry and warm.

Lizzy Treglown, a ShelterBox Response Team volunteer at the event, said, ‘Although on a much smaller, less serious scale, the situation was remarkably similar to conditions we face in the field. A group of people were left without shelter following terrible weather conditions. We were delighted to offer a solution.’

To say thank you, the French Polynesian Scouts performed a ‘wahaka’, a traditional custom, for the ShelterBox representatives.

‘It was incredible to experience. I’ve seen the New Zealand All Blacks perform something similar but seeing it in person was completely different.’ Lizzy said.

The tents provided to the French Polynesian Scouts will be used by ShelterBox Sweden to raise awareness of the charity’s work after the jamboree.

French Polynesian Scouts thank ShelterBox representatives by performing a ‘wahaka’, a traditional Polynesian custom

Submitted by: Mike Cahill