Shelter a priority in Filji

Transcript

Many of Fiji's cyclone victims are still in dire need of shelter especially with the onslaught of heavy rain over the last few days.

Sally Round has been out with the aid organisation Samaritan's Purse which has been distributing tarpaulins around to villages around Lautoka.

She spoke to the team leader Stewart Beveridge.

STEWART BEVERIDGE: My impression is that these people are resilient they do the very best with what they have and they need our support and our help.

SALLY ROUND: Today you have been distributing quite a simple item, a tarpaulin, how have they been received?

SB: Joyfully, a tarpaulin on the roof means a dry house and that stops the rain it slows down disease, it allows them to be able to dry their clothes to be able to cook their dinner tonight without rain falling down and putting their fire out. It means that their children can sleep in a stable and safe place tonight with without worrying about the children waking up with wet clothing and all the problems that, that causes with damp and things like that.

SR: And what else have you been giving people as you go about your work?

SB: Lollies. The other thing that we have been preparing are toolkits that are going to be used for the villagers to be able to do a little bit of self maintenance rather than waiting on external support. A very simple thing it has only got a hammer, a couple of bags of nails a saw some wire and pliers so that they can make some home-spun sort of fixes. So that when the wind comes or something like that they are able to look after themselves. A bit more resilience a bit more self-sufficiency. It lifts their pride in themselves and helps them to stand together as a community.

SR: How do you know which communities to deliver to?

SB: We have a network of national people here that are looking after us caring for the people in the village that are connected all through the year we are only here for a little while but they know where the damage is and rapid assessments have been done at a government level but also by some of the Samaritan's Purse team. We had an advance team here a few weeks ago now and they were able to work alongside DISMAC [Disaster Management Committee] and I understand where the most damaged areas are. So we are following the mud-map that has been left for us.

SR: And are you finding though that you are also just distributing aid as you go which is not actually on the list so to speak?

SB: Yeah our mandate is to help everyone in need, anyone in need at all whether they are in the village that we were supposed to be going to, if we see something on this side of the road like we did yesterday there is one of the people's republic of china tents we notice was flattened by the wind and it is our intention before we leave here today to go back and check on them. That was just something we saw as we went along yesterday.