LATEST UPDATE RABI: FIJI AID NOW MOVING THROUGH RABI VILLAGES - 25 March 2010

[Stacey King]

Ken Sigrah and Cr. Iekerua have just phoned from Rabi via the satellite phone. They reported that the Fiji Police, Army and also agricultural people were using the sat. phone that Ken had taken in to contact their heads of departments back in the main island.
Ken wanted me to let our donors know that it was through their kind efforts to help us and the extra $500 of donated funds that went into the purchase of precious fuel for the chainsaws and trucks that it enabled the village teams to clear the main road by yesterday. It is also with the great efforts of the village work teams that the trucks containing our precious emergency food aid is now able to progress through out the villages. Great job!
Cr. Iekerua was so pleased to know that everyone was working hard from this end and especially our Chairman and his team down in Suva. He will convey all the messages and updates to each of the villages. This will really help boost morale on the Island. I had personal experience with disaster when our family home in Brisbane Australia when under water for 4 days during the 'Great Brisbane Floods of 1974'. My father was a professional soldier and about 2 days after the disaster my father’s unit (Enogerra Barracks) came to our rescue and helped not only us but the whole neighbourhood. The feelings and emotions of such levels of shock and despair and to see the army arriving to help us was a moment in my life that I will never forget. I know exactly how our people in Rabi must be feeling right now.
I personally would like to thank our good friend and co-ordinator of Banaban Vision (Banaban Rehab project) – Peter Crowley who suggested that Ken needed to take a satellite phone with him on his mission to get to Rabi. This has proved one of the best AUD$500 we ever spent and has enabled us all to co-ordinate and mobilize things much more quickly. Without it we not only would have lost valuable time but wasted a lot more money in travelling expenses and wasted precious fuel supplies.
Stacey.