First Contact with Rabi Fiji via Ken Sigrah on Satellite phone- They need help with FOOD

[Stacey King]

Ken has just made contact with me now and was standing outside our home in Stream Valley Rabi with his brother Biniati and family. All our family is OK and our houses, one of which was only completed the day before the cylone hit has made it. All Biniati efforts with sandbagging the houses and wiring down the roofs with branches and logs has paid off. Ken reports that Rabi is in a very bad way confirming what our Chairman has already told us. He is attending a village meeting this afternoon in Tabwewa and Ken is trying to link up wiht the Chairman now in Suva and his team.

Apparently the first mission for all of them is try an get emergency food in to Rabi as they don't know how long it will take to get any aid to them. With money already raised a decision will be made now on the ground in Rabi and with the Chairman and Suva team to try and organise food ASAP. They are also organising to try and get around to Tabiang and Buakonikai by boat to finish assessment report and co-ordinate aid efforts to these villages which were reported to be the worst hit.

Will keep you posted as I hear more from Ken. Because of the limited battery life on the phone they are keeping it for emergency purposes at this stage to try and coordinate everything with Suva.

I can just image the shocked looks on the faces of our family when Ken arrived their today on a boat which he had to get via Taveuni to Kioa and then onto Rabi. It took him two days of travelling and knowing Ken meetin up with some kind boaties along the way.