At last now my internet is working. After so much waiting thanks to our TVL friends the internet is up and running.
Firstly I would like to convey my biggest appreciation and many many thank you to everyone that have contributed in terms of donations or advice and kind words.
Basically every family in Tafea and Shefa Province are affected by this cyclone. Old people say there was two cyclones that were as severe, one In 1972 and the other in around 1938 according to recollection of stories based around 1942, the World War II memories. The famous statement of my Tongariki people “GO REMEMBER HARRY, HARRY SAVE YOUR LIVE’’ originate from that time, when two US navy pilots were rescued from a drowning plane by Tongarikians just offshore from Tongariki.
Cyclone Pam is like nothing they have seen. People were lucky it came in the night time when everyone were inside. If it was in the day time there would be more dead people.
The response by our Overseas friends are tremendous and I must say that it proves the big heart they all have. We have USA, the Aussies, the Kiwis, the French, the British, the Russians, the Chinese, the Japanese our own Melanesian Friends, our own pacific island countries. Everyone is here. We have business people and cooperation from india, USA and so forth. We are as a nation, I must say that we are so thank full.
I was delighted to learn of the fast action aunty Jane that was able to set up the give a little page for the Ruben Wider Community and the overwhelming contributions from so many generous donors. I can promise you that with your initiative my family and community have regain their hope and know after 3- 6 months things should start to get normal.
Here is a previous report that I have written after I picked up two Vanuatu Army officers from the Hellicopter, who were stationed in Tongariki for 5 days to observed how the people will coop amidst all the fallen trees and broken houses.
On Thursday 27 march 2015 I received first hand information about the destruction of cyclone Pam on my island Tongariki by two officers from the Vanuatu Mobile Force. They spend about Five days on the observing how the people will survive. The Shefa Provincial head Office in Port Vila has also send in an officer who has observe pretty much the same although he may only have been there for a fewer days.
Their initial job on the island was to make ensure the fair distribution of aid that reaching the island and spending 5 days on the island have the chance of observing the desperation and difficulties the people are facing and like they said it will be a long time before the people can live normal lives again.
I can assure you that if Tongariki is this devastated Buninga very near will be going through a similar struggle to live or even worse due to their geographical position and so forth.
I will quote exactly what three officers have to say right after they jump down from the Helicopter;
Emia nao emi last kava blong ol man Tongariki, afta we kava we nao oli pulum aot finis long ground I finis mbae I nomo kat kava.
Yumi stap tok baot plantem seeds be nao ia ground emi hot tumas I ko kasem 20-30 cm deep. Yumi planem seed mbai I ded olsem naoia ol kava we istap sting mo yam we oli sting from process blong wetwet after endurem high temperature.
Last dry kokonut blong island blong melekem kakae nao I stap ko down mo ol komunities blo Tongariki mo Buninga we oli stap long Vila mo Santo I mas acceptem ce I no long taem mbai oli start sendem dry kokonut I ko long ol relative blong olgeta blong mekem kakae.
Kokonas I brok, even kokonus we I short nomo emi brok long metel. Yu wantem dry kokonus yu planem nara wan mo wet 3-5 yia.
Ol plan, grass I dry nao ia graound istap kamaot. Emia I save minim erosion blong ol top soil extendem recovery period blong tufala island.
Ol ol fala we oli stap long hurricane blong 1972 oli talem ce oli neva look wan cyclone olsem cyclone Pam we I destroy round long mountain iko insaed long ol greek, ino kat ples I hide.
Translation (in a fashion) from Jinny:
This is the last kava (a local island drink made from the roots of a kava plant) of Tongariki. We are talking about replanting seeds, but the ground is too hot and the seeds will die and the kava and the yam will rot because the soil has been damaged by the cycle of high temperatures following the huge rains.
The dry coconut supply (a staple island food item) will be in short supply because they have been knocked off the trees. All severely affected islands will now need to be supplied in coconut from less affected islands such as Santo.
Basically - if you want coconuts, you will need to plant and wait 3-5 years.
The top soil has been eroded out.
The adults that were around in 1972 (the last big cyclone) say that they have never seen something like Cyclone Pam - there was nowhere to hide from the winds.
I will have to take this opportunity to thank the Vanuatu Government dispatching this officers and the continued support it is giving. Our Biggest thank you and appreciation goes also to our overseas friends; There are countries and NGO’s that are assisting in the recovery process. Our Biggest thank you goes to this organizations and I am proud to mention that there are also private family to family, community to community assistance activities happening.
I hope that this note serve to highlight the enduring hardship that these two tiny island will face in the next three months and beyond and that a long term plan of recovery need to be in place before fertile land is lost.
This is written by JOHN MARK RUBEN. On behalf of the Ruben Wider Community (Give a little ) special thank you from the Ruben Family in Vanuatu to our extended families and friends in New Zealand and other countries around the world who have spend the time to share thoughts and donate to support the recovery.
00000000000000
Thank you – John Mark Tarisong Ruben.
As a matter of fact the whole of the six islands of the Shepherd Group in Vanuatu has been beaten down by the cyclone, from the shore line to the hill-top. On the top of Tongariki we could play petanque, the grass was all blown off including all the mountainous shrubs. At Ekipe Village a lot of my families found Shelter in two houses but described the event as if they were travelling in the ocean in a leaking canoe. The old road now only runs halfway, the other half is full of debris, rocks, trees, roofs and rubbish. Lamin, our other community in Efate was also so devastated: it was described to be as if a Giant has danced on it. Everywhere we see trees that have withstood previous cyclones but not PAM. PAM is a wake up call to all Ni vanuatu’s to build strong and lighter and the realization that having friends nearby and overseas has always been the best way.
Attached are some of the photos I have taken on Efate of the whanau and some to show just sheer strength and aftermath of the PAM. Now in Port Vila, the state of Emergency is extended and there is a ban on killing every kind of birds except flying foxes and Parrots. Every one is also very aware of the battering the Fishes and the sea shell have undergone. With the Assistance of the Give a little we have spent 1200 dollars on two villages on Tongariki and at the moment concentrating rebuilding and building 5 houses in Vila . Uma Alice’s House was totally destroyed down to the ground. Uma Alice is Moms Sister. We are building a decent 4 room flat that will accommodate all her families around 15 of them. You will see her sitting on the floor of her house on one of the photo’s.
I will get back to you all. This is Easter over here and I think people are just tired of working so today it seems it is really a holiday.
To all the Give a Little community and friends – Happy Easter and Thank God Jesus is alive today.
