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News from the Pacific Disaster Area
By DG Leanne Jaggs
Rotary Club of Manukau City Sunrise, New Zealand
Governor, District 9920
With horrific disasters in Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa
affecting District 9920, the Pacific region has seen how fast
Rotarians can react to an emergency
As we have so many Island
nations in our Rotary District, we’ve come to expect some kind of
disaster in most years, but this one has come from left field.
 Thankfully
Tonga
wasn’t hit too badly, so help from the Red Cross was sufficient.
American Samoa has the US to thank for
most of its aid, though we have organized 40 Emergency Response Kits
that were flown in, and our local City Council arranged a container
of Donations in Kind.
Samoa was the worst hit and the support from
Rotary has been truly amazing.
The help we have been offered
has just been magnificent and all I can do is to thank everyone who
pledged and gave support. Some highlights are:
Air
New Zealand – the first to help, as we had 92
Emergency Resource Kits (ERK) sent to
Apia.
NZAID and Air Movements RNZAF followed up with 100 ERKs on October 3.
ShelterBox – sent 40 boxes. It was to be 100 boxes,
but so many Samoan families started making their own shelter, that
only 40 boxes were required.
Rotary Club of Eltham Victoria, water purification project. They sent
102 mixed Aquabox Gold and 30s via
AusAid on October 3.
Fiji Rotarians sent 50 ERKs with
Air Pacific and
organized a container of Donations in Kind. Following this up with
the “first” Fiji FAIM team ready to leave when required.
Rarotonga had a radio-thon broadcast appeal to
collect cash donations
Manukau City Council organized a container to go to American Samoa of goods in kind.
Public donations of over NZ$15,000 have been received.
Not included is support from all Rotary clubs nationally in
New Zealand, and we have had many
cash donations to replenish our warehouse stock of ERKs, and funds
to help with the clean up.
Rotary Districts in Australia were wonderful. Many organized “money
bucket” appeals, raising cash for ShelterBox and ERKs. Thanks to all
Australian Districts for their support.
I am very proud to be a Rotarian at
this time. We are certainly the doers in the community. As Governor
of District 9920, I can only thank you all again for your support.
Following is background information on Rotary in Samoa from Stuart
Batty
Rotary in Samoa was established in
1970 and is held in respect by high commissions, government, local
authorities and the community in general as an agency that has
provided community development programs and projects for the past 39
years.
It is estimated that 30,000 people (6000 families)
were affected by the September 29 Tsunami.
This figure
represents one sixth of the people within this island nation. Forty
villages were affected along the 40km of coastline in the south-east
of Upolu
Island. Of these, 20 villages were
completely destroyed and about 3200 people from 640 families were
left homeless.
One of Rotary’s strengths is in the fact that
its members meet regularly, know each other well, and have effective
networks within civil society and the government and business
networks.
Rotary received practical help from the business
community, eg: the owners of trucks who provided vehicles and
drivers free of charge to assist with distribution of resources and
aid. They also received support from government departments and
agencies.
Rotary’s emergency response is designed to assist
family units and recognize gender, vulnerability (age, disability,
etc), as well as family support which is usually the responsibility
of the women of the household.
Rotary New Zealand World
Community Service adheres to the principles of the Sphere Project
for disaster relief, ie: collaboration during humanitarian action
and its commitment to quality and accountability.
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